KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States after cigarette smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
To help Tennesseans find out if they are being exposed to the gas, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is providing free radon test kits. However, you may have to wait a long time to receive the kit.
Due to the high demand for the free test kits, the wait could be up to two months to receive it. A little more than a week ago, the state’s website said the test kits were out of stock.
A Knoxville man has been trying for nearly a year to get his test kit. Lee Nichols took WATE through the basement of his home. Where over the years, he’s provided preventative maintenance.
“Well we sealed off this wall right here with water sealant, waterproof paint,” said Nichols.
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He’s taken precautions to make sure the basement in his 80-year-old home doesn’t leak. A public service video about radon caught Nichols’s attention. It explains that radon is a colorless and odorless, radioactive gas that comes from the soil and has negative effects on humans. This alarmed Nichols.