The Health Department encourages Lake County residents to check the radon levels of their homes or apartments. Studies show that radon occurs in every county in Illinois. Some homes tested in Lake County have had elevated radon levels.
What is Radon?
Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that naturally occurs in rock and soil. It can seep into homes from the soil through cracks in the basement floors and foundations, crawl spaces, poorly sealed sump pumps, porous cinder block walls and other foundation floor and wall penetrations.
Immediate radon reduction steps:
Fill or seal any cracks, crevices or holes in the foundation
Provide a gas-tight cap for the sump pit
Maintain a water level in trapped floor drains
Short-Term Test Kits
Short-term test kits are available through the Health Department for $10.
The cost includes return postage, laboratory analysis and interpretation by Health Department staff. The kits are also available from area hardware and building supply stores. For more information on purchasing a kit, call 847-377-8020.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency has conducted a statewide screening for indoor radon. The primary purpose of the screening was to determine whether there are particular regions within Illinois which are more prone to radon than others. This data has been collected since 2003. Click here to view radon levels by county and zip code.