Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste.
Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. Uranium is found in soils worldwide, with some areas having higher concentrations than others.
Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. Radon can have a big impact on your Indoor Air Quality.
Did you know?
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
How does radon cause cancer?
Radon breaks down into solid particles known as radon decay products. The decay products can become trapped in the lungs when inhaled and damage lung tissue by releasing radiation.
Over time, exposure to high levels of radon increases a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. This risk is greatly increased for smokers.
What can you do?
Testing your home is the only way to know if radon levels are high. If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels may be able to be reduced to acceptable levels by a radon mitigation expert.
When to test your home
You should test your home’s radon levels
- If it’s never been tested or radon levels are unknown
- When preparing to buy or sell
- Before and after any renovations, especially after making any repairs to reduce radon levels
- Before making any lifestyle changes in the home that would cause someone to spend more time in the basement or lower level (like converting a basement to a bedroom or home office)
The EPA recommends making sure that the test is done in the lowest level of the home that could be used regularly. This means the lowest level that you are going to use as living space, whether it is finished or unfinished.
You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local, and neighborhood radon measurements. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level in your home. Homes which are next to each other can have different indoor radon levels. Testing is the only way to find out what your home’s radon level is.
How we can help
At HomeCheck, we use a SunRADON 1028 XP Continuous Monitor, the most advanced monitor on the market, to provide our clients with meaningful radon test results.