Overview - Introduction - Contractors - Radon Reduction Techniques - Meeting Requirements - Radon Reduction System - Radon in Water
You have tested your home for radon, but now what? This article is for people who have tested their home for radon and confirmed that they have elevated radon levels -- 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
This article can help you:
- Select a qualified contractor to reduce the radon levels in your home
- Determine an appropriate radon reduction method
- Maintain your radon reduction system
If you want information on how to test your home for radon, call your state radon office and ask for a copy of A Citizen's Guide to Radon.
How Radon Enters Your House
Radon is a naturally occurring gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Air pressure inside your home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around your home's foundation. Because of this difference in pressure, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing radon in through foundation cracks and other openings. Radon may also be present in well water and can be released into the air in your home when water is used for showering and other household uses. In most cases, radon entering the home through water is a small risk compared with radon entering your home from the soil. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, although building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves.
Radon is a Cancer-Causing, Radioactive Gas
Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of lung cancer deaths each year. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. 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.
What Do Your Radon Test Results Mean?
The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picoCuries of radon per liter of air," or "pCi/L." Sometimes test results are expressed in Working Levels, "WL," rather than picoCuries per liter of air. A level of 0.02 WL is usually equal to about 4 pCi/L in a typical home.
Any radon exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer. The lower the radon level in your home, the lower your family's risk of lung cancer. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels; about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air. EPA recommends fixing your home if the results of one long-term test or the average of two short-term tests taken in the lowest lived in level of the home show radon levels of 4 pCi/L (or 0.02 WL) or higher. A short-term test remains in your home for two days to 90 days, whereas a long-term test remains in your home for more than 90 days. With today's technology, radon levels in most homes can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below.
Have You Confirmed Your Radon Test?
If your first short-term test result is 4 pCi/L or higher (or 0.02 WL or more), EPA recommends that you take a second test to be sure. For a better understanding of your year-round average radon level, take a long-term test. If you need results quickly, take a second short-term test and average it with the first. The higher your initial short-term test result, the more certain you can be that you should take a short-term rather than a long-term follow-up test. If your first short-term test result is several times the action level -- for example, about 10 pCi/L or higher -- you should take a second short-term test immediately.
Why Use a Tester or a Test Kit That Meets EPA Requirements?
Whether you use a short- or long-term test, use a device and a testing company that is state certified and/or is listed in EPA's Radon Proficiency Program (RPP). If you want to use a do-it-yourself test kit, use one that displays the phrase "Meets EPA Requirements." EPA's RPP Program is designed to help assure that consumers get reliable radon measurement and mitigation services. If you want to hire a professional to take the measurement contact your state radon office for a current list of state certified and/or RPP listed companies and individuals. Listed RMP Program participants must follow quality assurance and EPA measurement procedures and have demonstrated the ability to take reliable measurements with specific devices. Your state may also have additional requirements for professional radon testers.
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