Updated 1/3/20

Folks in Giles County can access free radon testing kits this month.

The state Department of Environment and Conservation says one kit will be made available per household to test for the colorless, odorless, naturally-occurring radioactive gas that threatens human health when trapped in homes and other confined spaces.

The department says radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the country, and the number one cause among non-smokers. The gas is produced when uranium breaks down in rocks and soils.

Governor Bill Lee has declared January as “Radon Detection Month.”