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Information about Radon (provided in part by the U.S. EPA)
Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You can't see, smell or taste radon, but it may be a problem in your home.
Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. and can get into any type of building, including homes, offices and schools. However, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, because that's where you spend most of your time.
Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Any home, new or old, and in good or bad condition could be susceptible to radon problems.
Testing for Radon
You can and should have your home tested for radon. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. EPA also suggests testing in school buildings.
The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picocuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L". Sometimes test results are expressed in Working Levels (WL) rather than picocuries per liter (pCi/L). There are many kinds of "do it yourself" test kits available, or you can have Jesse Trebil Foundation Systems, Inc. do it for you! We are a NEHA and EPA approved radon tester and mitigator.
Testing is inexpensive and easy - it should only take a few minutes of your time. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon, and we can help you test yours.
If radon is found in your home or office, there are some relatively simple ways to reduce the radon to safe and acceptable levels.
The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L, and about .4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels. While this goal is not yet technologically achievable in all cases, most homes today can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below.
Sometimes short-term tests are less definitive about whether or not your home is above 4 pCi/L. This can happen when your results are close to 4 pCi/L. For example, if the average of your two short-term test results is 4.1 pCi/L, there is about a 50% chance that your year-round average is somewhat below 4 pCi/L. However, EPA believes that any radon exposure carries some risk - no level of radon is safe. Even radon levels below 4 pCi/L pose some risk, and reduce your risk of lung cancer by lowering your radon level.
If your living patterns change and you begin occupying a lower level of your home (such as basement) you should retest your home on that level.
Reducing Radon Levels
Since there is no known safe level of radon, there can always be some risk. But the risk can be reduced by lowering the radon level in your home.
A variety of methods are used to reduce radon in your home. In some cases, sealing cracks in floors and walls may help to reduce radon. In other cases, simple systems using pipes and fans may be used to reduce radon. Such systems are called "Sub-slab depressurization," and do not require major changes to your home. These systems remove radon gas from below the concrete floor and the foundation before it can enter the home. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. Radon contractors use other methods that may also work. The right system will depend partly on the design and structure of your house.
The cost of making repairs to reduce radon depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs like painting, or having a new hot water heater installed.
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