A lot of families in America are living in areas where levels of radon gas can be high. Fortunately, testing for radon is available to keep you and your family safe. Radon in your home is a serious worry, but with testing for radon and radon abatement service, it doesn’t have to stay that way.

• What is radon? Radon is a gas that results from the decomposition of naturally occurring radioactive material in the soil. The levels of these materials in the soil vary naturally and by region, meaning that some places are more at risk than others.
• Is radon gas dangerous? The Surgeon General and the United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that approximately 20,000 of the deaths from lung cancer each year are attributable to radon. Radon is, according to the Surgeon General, America’s second leading cause of lung cancer. A person’s lung cancer risk increases when exposed long-term to radon; by as much as 16% per 100 Bq/m.
• How much radon is dangerous? If a home has radon levels as high as 4 cCi/l, the residents are being exposed to as much radiation as would be allowed to a person standing by the fence surrounding a radioactive waste dump. One in 15 American homes is believed to have radon levels at or above the action level set by the EPA. The EPA has also found that almost one in three homes in seven of America’s states, and one in three homes on Indian lands, have levels over 4 pCi/L.
• Is testing for radon difficult? The simplest form of radon testing is short-term detectors, which only measure radon levels for two to 90 days. These simple and inexpensive tests can alert a homeowner to the need for more testing. Long-term tests measure concentrations of radon for more than 90 days.
• If testing for radon shows high levels, can anything be done about it? There are plenty of experienced radon mitigation services available, and a radon mitigation and abatement professional can give you more information. In general, however, passive systems have been demonstrated to reduce the levels of radon indoors by more than 50%. When ventilation fans are added to the passive systems, these levels are further reduced.

Testing for radon is simple and easy, and it is one of the best ways to protect you and your family from the harmful effects of long-term exposure to high levels of this dangerous gas. Find a local radon testing service near you and enjoy better peace of mind.