Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking tobacco products. Those who smoke and children are at an especially high risk of lung cancer from radon.
The EPA suggests reducing your radon levels to below 4.0 picoCuries per liter of air
Radon is an inert, odorless, naturally occurring radioactive gas caused by the breakdown of uranium to radium to radon within the soil beneath your property.
The only way to identify a radon risk within a property (commercial, residential, schools, etc.) is to test.
MYTH: A neighbor's tests are a good indication if your home has radon. Every home is unique, therefore positive test results of a neighbor ARE NOT a good indicator of your home's level!
Although some areas/zones of the country have higher average radon levels, the EPA suggests all properties, in all geographic areas, be tested every two years.
Radon decay products (RDP) are accumulative, the longer you are exposed, the higher the risk of the health risk of lung cancer. Therefore the earlier you test and learn your radon level the better!
Radon mitigation is relatively inexpensive AND if done as part of a new construction, even less expensive and current day mitigation techniques are VERY effective!
After a radon mitigation system is installed, retest to measure how effective the system is operating.
When making a home improvement, especially involving changes to a foundation, it’s best to test for radon as part of your project.
It is estimated that 21,000 deaths a year are due to lung cancer from radon.
Radon is ranked as a Group A carcinogen, the same category as tobacco products. If you smoke, you are especially at risk for lung cancer.
If you have questions on radon, check with your state radon office.
Important links:
EPA Citizens Guide to Radon
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/2012_a_citizens_guide_to_radon.pdf
EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction – How to fix your home
https://www.epa.gov/radon/consumers-guide-radon-reduction-how-fix-your-home
EPA Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-05/documents/hmbuygud.pdf