Testing for Radon

Choosing a Mitigator

Radon Mitigation - What to Expect

What is Radon ?

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock.  It moves into the air people breathe in their homes.

Radon is The Second Leading Cause Of Lung Cancer.

Radon is a Class A carcinogen, meaning it is known to cause cancer in humans.  The scientific community and every major health organization rank radon as the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer, causing an estimated 20,000 U.S. deaths annually. Each pico-curie of radon measured causes about the same damage as smoking 2 cigarettes per day.

What level of Radon is dangerous?

The EPA has set 4.0 pCi/L (pico-curies per liter of air) and higher as the "Action Level" for radon concentration.  Action should be taken to lower the radon in homes where exposure to residents exceed this level.   The EPA also recommends that you should "consider taking action" when radon level exceeds 2.0 pCi/L.

The higher the radon level in a house, the more important it is to take action.  Lowering the radon level will greatly reduce the risk of lung cancer.

 

Where does Radon Come From?

Radon Comes From The Ground.

It may get in through:

1.  Cracks in floors and at the floor/wall seam.

2.  Dirt and/or gravel crawlspaces.

3.  Openings around pipes and plumbing.

4.  Open sump pits.

5.  Hidden openings.

6.  Through the pores in the concrete itself.

 

Can any Home Can Have It?

Most radon gets into a house because of soil pressure caused by temperature and weather, which causes differences in pressure between the air inside and the air under the home. Radon gas is sucked into the home through openings that come in contact with the soil under the house.

 

Radon gas rises up from the soil under a home and becomes trapped inside, causing the level to be concentrated.  Almost any house can have a radon problem.  This means new and old homes, well sealed and drafty homes, homes with or without basements, and homes with either finished or unfinished basements.  They are all equally at risk.

 

Do New Homes Have Radon, Too?

Yes.  Because radon originates from the soil the house is sitting on.  New homes are well insulated and can actually hold more radon in.

 

Is Radon Found in Your Area?

High radon levels are found in homes throughout the Midwest.

 

The U.S. Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has mapped the nation into three radon zones.  Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan are all in the highest two zones.

 

15 to 20 percent of the homes in these states have elevated levels of radon in the air on the main floor, not just in the basement.