Radon is a radioactive gas, which occurs naturally from the breakdown (radioactive decay) of uranium. You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it. Radon can be found in high concentrations in soil and rocks containing uranium, granite, shale, phosphate, or pitchblende.

In outdoor air, radon is diluted to such low concentrations that it is usually nothing to worry about. However, once inside an enclosed space (such as a home) radon can accumulate. Indoor levels depend both on a building’s construction and most importantly, the concentration of radon in the underlying soil.

Radon is estimated to cause thousands of lung cancer deaths each year. The Surgeon General has stated that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is extremely high.

HOW DOES RADON GET INTO A HOME?

Since radon is a gas, it moves easily through small spaces in the soil and rock on which a house is built. Radon can seep into a home through dirt floors, cracks in concrete floors and walls, floor drains, pumps, joints, and tiny cracks or pores in hollow-block walls. Radon can also enter water in private wells and be released into the home when the water is used.

INTERPRETING YOUR TEST RESULTS

The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picocuries of radon per Liter of air" or pCi/L". The EPA recommends fixing your home if the results of a short-term test (2 – 7 day tests), a test (screening) designed for home transaction, taken in the lowest lived-in level of the home show radon levels of 4 pCi/L or higher.

FIXING YOUR RADON PROBLEM

The EPA recommends that you have a qualified contractor fix your home because lowering high radon levels requires specific technical knowledge and special skills. The EPA publication "Consumer’s Guide To Radon Reduction" gives a detailed description of radon reduction methods, costs and maintenance tips along with how to hire a mitigation contractor. For copies of this publication or more information on radon, you can call the EPA Office of Radiation and Indoor Air at (800) SOS-RADON (800 767-7236).

HOW RADON AFFECTS YOU

The amount of radon that you are exposed to and the length of time you are exposed to it determines the level of risk you are at for lung cancer. The higher the radon levels the greater the risk.