Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You can’t see radon you can’t smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That’s because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. Radon comes from the natural radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil rock and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building, homes, offices, and schools and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes for radon. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon. You can fix a radon problem. Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

How does Radon get into Your Home?

Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.

Radon gets in through:

• Cracks in solid floors
• Construction joints
• Cracks in walls
• Gaps in suspended floors
• Gaps around service pipes
• Cavities inside walls
• The water supply

Test Your Home

It’s not hard to find out if you have a radon problem in your home. All you need to do is have your home tested for radon. The amount of radon in the air is measured in “picocuries per liter of air,” or “pCi/L”. If you are buying or selling a home, you should hire a qualified tester.

The EPA Recommended Action Level is 4 pCi/L\

The EPA recommends you test your home for radon, it’s easy and inexpensive. The EPA’s action level to fix your home is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a health risk, and in many cases may be reduced.

The Risk of Living with Radon

Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. And the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years. Like other environmental pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the magnitude of radon health risks. However, we know more about radon risks than risks from most other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of radon risks are based on studies of cancer in humans (underground miners). Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on how much radon is in your home the amount of time you spend in your home.