You can’t see, smell, or taste it, but radon gas can accumulate to dangerous levels in any home or building.
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What is in your indoor air and how does it affect your body? Radon’s radioactive properties can damage the lungs when breathed and is the second cause of lung cancer only after smoking. Studies show that the more time this radioactive gas is breathed, the higher the chances of developing lung cancer.
People who have never smoked make up approximately one in seven lung cancer deaths each year.
While exposure to radon causes no immediate symptoms, the long-term risk is lung cancer. Lung cancer is often known as “the silent killer”, because early signs often go unnoticed.
While anyone with lungs can be susceptible to radon-induced lung cancer, if you smoke and your home has elevated levels of radon, your risk of lung cancer is exponentially higher than someone who does not smoke.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified exposure to this gas as a health risk across the United States. 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated radon levels above the EPA recommended action level of 4.0 pCi/L. In some parts of the country, it’s estimated that upwards of 50% of homes have unsafe levels.
Any home or building can have high radon levels regardless of location or building type.
Even though radon exposure is responsible for more deaths each year than housefires, asbestos-related cancer, and carbon monoxide poisoning combined, it lacks the level of awareness as other home dangers.
Source: IBRC, using data from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Mesothelioma Center, and the U.S. Fire Administration
Indoor radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It’s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. It can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well-established venting techniques.
Due to the lack of awareness about the threat of this gas, certain areas of the U.S. have still gone untested. Based on data reported to the CDC (1988-2022), less than 5% of buildings in the U.S. have been tested for radon nationwide.
Radon professionals have promoted the need to test all homes and other buildings for many years, but most places in the country remain dangerously undertested, leaving millions of people at risk.
Enter your 5-digit zip code to search the radon levels in your area and learn more about your risk of exposure.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter or pCi/L. A picocurie is a measure of the rate of radioactive decay per liter of air.
The average outdoor level is 0.4 pCi/L.
The EPA has determined the recommended indoor action level is 4.0 pCi/L of radon. If levels are 4.0 pCi/L or higher, the professional installation of a mitigation system is strongly recommended.
The World Health Organization has set their recommended action level at 2.7 pCi/L.
This gas is radioactive and can cause lung cancer when it’s breathed in. The alpha radiation particles radon emits can damage or break lung cell DNA which can cause mutations in the form of cancer.
Radon was originally discovered in 1899 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn. It wasn’t until the 1960s that the gas became formally accepted by the research community as a leading cause of lung cancer.
It is a naturally occurring, radioactive, gas that comes from Radium and Uranium – naturally occurring metal elements found all throughout the earth’s crust.
The radioactive nature of Uranium is used for powering commercial nuclear reactors that create electricity.
Radioactive Uranium atoms release radioactive particles when they decay. Through this process, atoms lose protons and neutrons, meaning that the atom is now chemically different than it was before, earning it its own spot on the periodic table.
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of Uranium in the ground.
This radioactive gas moves up through the ground and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps gas inside, where it can build up to dangerous levels. New and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements – any type of home may have a radon problem.
On average, basements have the highest radon levels compared to any other room because it is below ground where radon gas originates. It is the first room this gas reaches as it is pulled into the building.
However, any room can have elevated levels due to ventilation, energy efficiency, or weather impacts.
Radon is also more dense than other air particles, so it tends to be most concentrated on lower levels, but can be found in all levels throughout the home.
While newer, more energy-efficient homes are designed to minimize air leaks. This very attribute can contribute to its accumulation if not properly managed.
Radon levels can vary significantly from one house to another, even among neighboring homes.
Geographical factors, the specific makeup of the ground beneath the home, and the foundation type of the home can impact the differing levels of this gas in buildings that are next to each other.
Even if your neighbor has low levels, yours may not be. Conduct a test!
The thermal stack effect explains why radon levels are almost always higher in the winter.
Simply put, outdoor air is being pulled into the home quicker and more frequently in the winter than in summer. For this reason, the potential for exposure to higher levels in your home is greater in the colder winter months.
Test your home and other buildings in the colder months to get a complete picture of exposure. The levels of this radioactive gas can change over time due to temperature and weather variation.
Lung damage caused by radon exposure can be prevented. Once aware of the dangers of this gas, protecting yourself and family from radon gas exposure can be accomplished in a few steps.
The first step is to test the buildings you spend time in such as where you live, work, and learn. The only way to know a building’s unique radon exposure is to conduct a radon test
Because you can’t see, smell, or taste radon, you would never know that it’s there unless you test. A radon test can be relatively easy and inexpensive to conduct and lets you know the radon levels in your home or building.
There are many options for radon testing – all are effective and accurate ways to know your radon risk.
Short-term, do-it-yourself charcoal testing kits are typically placed indoors for 24-48 hours to absorb radon particles and are shipped back to the lab to be processed.
CRM’s are active devices that collect multiple readings over a sampling period. They’re often placed, calibrated, and interpreted by radon professionals.
A long-term radon test can provide a more full picture of the story of radon in your home as it collects radon readings over multiple months.
Professional radon testing with a CRM device is the most detailed way to test. Here is what to expect!
If your building or home reported under 4.0 pCi/L, and a mitigation system was not installed, it is recommended that testing is conducted every 2 years to ensure that various factors over time haven’t led to higher concentrations.
Radon levels can vary between buildings right next to each other. They can also vary greatly during different seasons due to factors such as:
If radon levels are found to be 4.0 pCi/L or higher, the EPA recommends having a mitigation system installed by a radon professional as the safe and reliable solution to bringing those levels down.
Radon mitigation is the process or system used to reduce radon concentrations in buildings. All systems should reduce radon to at least below 2.0 pCi/L.
A mitigation system is made up of:
A properly installed mitigation system uses suction to reduce radon levels inside the home by drawing in contaminated air containing soil gasses from under the foundation of the home and releasing it safely above the roofline where it can disperse.
A test should be conducted within a few days of installation to ensure radon levels are reduced.
Routine maintenance of your radon system will keep it functioning as intended. A properly installed (and properly working) system is key to ensuring the radon levels in your home are addressed.
The only way to ensure your mitigation system is performing optimally is to test. The EPA recommends retesting every 2 years or whenever significant changes to the home structure or mechanical systems occur.
Signs your radon mitigation system may need maintenance:
Our team of experts is qualified and certified to provide professional radon testing, radon mitigation, and radon system maintenance services for your home or commercial building! We have multiple offices located across the U.S. ready to serve you. Find your local Protect Professionals or request service to get started!
Sources: https://www.energy.gov/ne/nuclear-fuel-facts-uranium#:~:text=Uranium%20is%20now%20used%20to,defense%20purposes%20around%20the%20world. https://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclide-basics-radon https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/nuclear-fuel-cycle/introduction/what-is-uranium-how-does-it-work.aspx
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