When it comes to maintaining a safe and healthy living environment, we often focus on visible threats like mold, pests or air pollution. However, there’s an invisible danger often lurking in many homes: radon gas.
Radon can’t be seen, smelled or tasted, and there’s no indication that you may be breathing in high levels of radon until poisoning symptoms may begin to show, like persistent coughing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood and upper respiratory infections.
Prolonged radon exposure is responsible for more than 20,000 deaths from lung cancer each year (the second highest cause behind smoking cigarettes). According to statistics, radon is estimated to cause between 3 to 14 percent of all lung cancer diagnoses.
Thankfully, radon exposure is entirely preventable. By making radon testing a priority for your home, you keep you and your loved ones safe for a lifetime.
Understanding How Radon Works
Radon is formed by the natural decay of uranium found in rocks, soil and water. It enters homes through cracks in the foundation, gaps in walls and openings around pipes and drains. Once inside, it can accumulate to dangerous levels.
The World Health Organization says that the risk of lung cancer increases by about 16 percent per 100 Bq/m3 increase in long-time average radon concentration. The good news is that even if elevated radon is found in a house through proper testing, it can be mitigated to safe, non-toxic levels.
How Radon Testing Works
The only way to know if your home has dangerous radon levels is to hire a certified radon measurement professional to conduct a radon test. An accurate, professional test ensures reliable radon level results and recommendations.
Professionals use specialized devices that are calibrated to meet EPA testing protocols. They place detectors in the lowest occupied level of the home for optimal testing conditions. They also follow guidelines to avoid interfering with test results.
Depending on your home’s needs, a professional can perform either a short-term test, lasting from two days to three months to initially screen for radon, or a long-term test of three months up to a year for a more precise annual average.
Why Radon Testing and Mitigation Are Important
Given the potential risks associated with radon exposure, it’s imperative to prioritize radon testing in your home. Whether you live in an old or new home, in an area with high radon levels or low levels, every home is susceptible to radon infiltration. Being proactive with radon testing carries many benefits, including:
Protecting Your Family
By conducting a radon test in your home, you’re taking a crucial step toward protecting your family’s health. If elevated levels of radon are detected, mitigation measures can be implemented to reduce the concentration and minimize the risk. If results exceed EPA action limits of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for short-term tests or 2.7 pCi/L for long-term, your professional will recommend installing a radon mitigation system to lower radon to safe levels within your home. Radon mitigation techniques may include sealing foundation cracks, improving ventilation or installing specialized systems to vent radon gas safely outside the home.
Home Value and Peace of Mind
Besides the health implications, radon testing also has financial and peace of mind benefits. If you plan to sell your home in the future, having a radon test and mitigation system in place can increase its market value and appeal to potential buyers. Additionally, knowing that your home has been tested and is free from radon provides peace of mind, allowing you and your family to live without the constant worry of unseen dangers — which is especially important since a radon mitigation system works in perpetuity to keep your home safe.
Take Radon Testing Action Today
The only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels is through testing. By investing a small amount of time and money in radon testing, you can take the necessary steps to mitigate radon. protect your family’s health and achieve peace of mind. Don’t wait until it’s too late; act now and make radon testing a priority in your home.
The professionals at Radon Crew can help. Contact the Crew to schedule an appointment and get a test done. Every day, our goal is to educate our customers about the harmful effects of radon and to mitigate the presence of radon in the home.