Chicago, IL – As Thanksgiving celebrations bring families indoors across Illinois, state health officials are urging residents to test their homes for radon, a silent and invisible killer that may be circulating undetected this holiday season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) say radon levels tend to rise sharply in winter as windows stay shut and ventilation decreases.
Radon forms when uranium in soil and rock breaks down, releasing gas that seeps upward through foundation cracks, drains, or sump pumps. Once trapped indoors, it can accumulate to hazardous levels without any warning — it has no color, odor, or taste.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identifies radon as the second-leading cause of lung cancer, behind only smoking, with more than 21,000 deaths per year linked to exposure. Illinois is considered a high-risk state for radon, with nearly 40% of tested homes showing levels above the EPA’s action threshold of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
The Illinois Radon Program offers free or low-cost radon test kits, available through local health departments or online. Results typically take only a few days. If elevated levels are detected, licensed mitigation contractors can install systems that vent the gas safely outdoors — often reducing radon by up to 90%.
“Radon doesn’t make a sound or leave a smell, but it kills more people than carbon monoxide each year,” CDC officials warned. “Testing this Thanksgiving could save your family’s life.”
As families across Chicago, Rockford, and Springfield gather indoors for the holiday weekend, Illinois health officials urge residents to make radon testing part of their winter home safety checklist — before this silent killer lingers into the season.
