Radon Information

Click Past Newsletters or Reference Material for more information on the negative health effects of radon, radon resistant construction or local radon levels.

Click Certified Radon Testing for more information on the specifics of our quality control program and the importance of being "certified".

Radon Is a Cancer-Causing, Radioactive Gas

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home.  When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer.  In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.  If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

You Should Test for Radon

Testing is the only way to find out your home's radon levels. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.

You Can Fix a Radon Problem

If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

If You Are Selling a Home...

EPA recommends that you test your home before putting it on the market and, if necessary, lower your radon levels. Save the test results and all information you have about steps that were taken to fix any problems. This could be a positive selling point. 

If You Are Buying a Home...

EPA recommends that you know what the indoor radon level is in any home you consider buying.  Ask the seller for their radon test results.  If the home has a radon-reduction system, ask the seller for information they have about the system.

If the home has not yet been tested, you should have the housed tested.

If you are having a new home built, there are features that can be incorporated into your home during construction to reduce radon levels.

The radon testing guidelines in this Guide have been developed specifically to deal with the time-sensitive nature of home purchases and sales, and the potential for radon device interference.  These guidelines are slightly different from the guidelines in other EPA publications which provide radon testing and reduction information for non-real estate situations.

This Guide recommends three short-term testing options for real estate transactions.  EPA also recommends testing a home in the lowest level which is currently suitable for occupancy, since a buyer may choose to live in a lower area of the home than that used by the seller.

 

 

Based on information contained in the National Academy of Sciences report, The Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon, radon is estimated to cause between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths per year.  Data on (non-radon) causes of death are from Injury Facts, 1999 Edition, National Safety Council, Itasca, IL

Cancer Survivors Against Radon visit http://www.cansar.org

For more information about radon, please visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html

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