Governor J.B. Pritzker has announced this January as Radon Action Month.
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is urging all residents to test their home for radon. Radon has been found in nearly 40% of the homes tested in Illinois.
Director Alicia Tate-Nadeau attributes over 1,000 cases of lung cancer in Illinois to radon.
She cites home tests as a simple and inexpensive way to detect it, specifically in older buildings and new constructions.
To raise awareness about the risks of radon, the Agency and the American Lung Association of Illinois have announced two statewide contests for creative students in high school and middle school.