(Washington, DC) As part of Radon Awareness Month, the District Department of the Environment (DDOE) is offering FREE Radon testing kits to help DC residents maintain safe and healthy homes. According to the EPA and the District Department of the Environment, radon cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, but it may be a problem in your home. Radon is a pollutant that comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and can enter the air we breathe. Radon has been found in homes all over the United States, including the District of Columbia.

The kit is easy to use--simply place it in your home for two days and then send it to a lab for analysis in the kit's postage-prepaid package. If the results are positive, a list of abatement companies will be provided. The severity of radon contamination will determine how much it will cost to get rid of the problem.

This is an especially critical time of year for radon pollution because people keep windows and doors closed to keep in the heat. If a home is contaminated, it usually registers at a higher level during the cold months. The National Academy of Sciences reports that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, causing about 15,000 deaths a year.

DDOE will be holding three radon information workshops in January. The times and locations will be advertised and listed on this website.

For more information and to get the free radon test kit, DC residents should call the Radon Hotline at (202) 535-2302.