Danger: What You Should Know About Radon

As a homeowner, you have a great deal of responsibility. You have to ensure that living inside of your home is safe. In fact, your safety in your home is at risk because of toxic gases. These gases include carbon monoxide, fire gases, and radon gas. In actuality, one of the most toxic gases is radon gas. Radon gas has become more and more prevalent within certain homes in certain environments. With that said, around one in fifteen homes can have radon levels above the EPA action level. So, what can you do about radon in your home? Here’s what you should know.

Radon
First, let’s begin with what is radon? Radon is a radioactive, toxic gas found in homes throughout the United States. It’s produced from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, water, and the air you breathe. Typically, radon moves from the ground to the air above your home. It can then travel through your home by cracks and holes in your home’s foundation. Because of this, there can be low levels of radon in your home, or high levels of radon in your home.

Testing For Radon
It is important to test for radon in your home. It can be the home you’re currently living in (especially if you want to sell it), or the home you just bought. It’s important to test for radon, because the EPA and surgeon’s recommend it. Essentially, not only is radon a radioactive, toxic gas- it is a cancer causing gas. You cannot see, smell, or taste this gas. However, when you breathe in radon gas, you increase your likelihood of being diagnosed with lung cancer. If you smoke, and radon gas is in your home, your likelihood of getting lung cancer is extremely high. In fact, according to the Surgeon General of the United States, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer, today. To decrease your chances of cancer, test for radon.

Testing for radon is also important because a test is the only way to find out what the radon level is in your home. Additionally, you can catch high levels of radon (4 pCi/L or more) early when you test it. This means that you have a greater chance of reducing the levels to an acceptable level.

If you’re buying or selling a home, you must test for radon. In order to successfully sell your house, or buy your new one, the radon levels need to be acceptable. If they are not, nothing can be done with the house. It is important to note that you will pass radon testing if the levels are 3.9 pci/l or lower.

How To Test
You can use two different devices for radon testing. You can use a passive device or an active device. Passive devices are devices that do not need power to function.