A Quick Tuesday Stop at a KDL Branch This Month Could Protect Your Home

If you live in Kent County, this is one of those “please don’t scroll past this” pleas. You can get a free radon test kit this month, and it’s one of the easiest, most important things you can do for your home and your health.

January is Radon Action Month, and the Kent County Health Department is teaming up with the Kent District Library to make testing as accessible as possible. No appointments. No paperwork spiral. Just show up and grab a kit.

Radon is one of those things that sounds abstract until you realize how common it is. It forms naturally when uranium breaks down in the ground and can sneak into homes through cracks in the foundation, floor drains, or sump pits.

You can’t see it. You can’t smell it. You definitely can’t taste it. But breathing it in over time increases your risk of lung cancer. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., right behind smoking. Health officials estimate about 21,000 deaths each year are linked to radon exposure.

Winter is actually the best time to test, because doors and windows are usually closed, which gives a more accurate reading of what’s building up inside your home.

Throughout January, a different Kent District Library branch will host a Kent County Health Department information booth every Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., where staff will hand out free test kits and answer questions.

On January 6, kits will be available at the Plainfield Branch on 5 Mile Road.
On January 13, the Cascade Branch on Jacksmith Avenue will host the giveaway.
On January 20, head to the Grandville Branch on Maple Street.
And on January 27, the Kentwood Branch on Breton will wrap things up.

If you can’t make it during those times, there’s another option. Kent District Library also offers radon detectors you can check out with your library card, which is a nice backup if your schedule is chaotic (and whose isn’t).

It’s free. It takes very little effort. And it can give you real peace of mind, or at least the information you need to take the next step. For something that literally saves lives, this is about as easy as it gets.