TDEC Offers Free Radon Test Kits in Observance of Earth Day

Kits Available at Statewide Events, Online

NASHVILLE – In observance of Earth Day on April 22, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation will distribute complimentary test kits at various events across the state. Throughout the month of April, the department will also educate Tennesseans about the dangers of radon exposure.

Attendees at the following Earth Day events can receive a complimentary short-term test kit:

• Bays Mountain Park Exhibits and Activities: Held throughout April
• Keep Kingsport Beautiful Downtown Cleanup: May 3 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m.
• Kingsport Green Belt Bird Walk: April 19 at 8 a.m.
• Kingsport Zero Emissions Day: April 22
• Knoxville’s Earth Fest: April 26 from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. at World’s Fair Park
• Memphis Pathways to Sustainability: April 9 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Bioworks Foundation Building
• Nashville’s Earth Day Festival: April 19 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. at Centennial Park

Complimentary test kits will also be available online or through the radon hotline.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide these complimentary test kits for a limited time,” TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau said. “A simple, do-it-yourself test with these kits can determine the presence of radon in the home and save lives.”

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The EPA estimates that approximately 70 percent of Tennessee’s population lives in high risk or moderate risk radon areas. Nationally, about six percent of homes surveyed had elevated levels of radon. In contrast, 16 percent of Tennessee homes surveyed had elevated levels, and, in some counties, 33 to 75 percent of homes tested had elevated levels of radon.

“It is important to test your home since radon acts unpredictably,” Martineau added. “It is a naturally occurring gas that can seep into homes through cracks and openings in the foundation and cannot be seen, tasted or smelled.”

The outreach effort is supported by the American Lung Association, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and various local and county health departments.

For additional information about radon and to register for a complimentary test kit, visit http://www.tn.gov/environment/sustainable-practices_radon-program.shtml or contact the Tennessee Radon Program at 1-800-232-1139.

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