With Tennesseans spending more time at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) encourages households to take advantage of free radon test kits.

Gov. Bill Lee has declared January as Radon Action Month statewide.

“Knowing the level of radon in your home has always been important,” Dr. Kendra Abkowitz, director of the Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices at TDEC, said. “The test kits are free.”

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, and it is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas. The only way to know if radon is in a home at levels that are harmful to health is to test for it.

For more information and to request a free test kit, visit https://www.tn.gov/environment/radon.html or call 800-232-1139.