The Truth About Radon

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless radioactive gas that is produced from the decay of uranium in the ground.

Why is Radon Dangerous?

Breathing in high levels of radon over time can significantly increase the risk of lung cancer, particularly when combined with smoking; as it is invisible and has no smell, people can be exposed to harmful levels without realizing it. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, it's number 2 overall. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. 

Radon can seep into buildings through cracks in the foundation and build up in poorly ventilated areas, particularly basements.

When inhaled, radon particles can get trapped in the lungs and emit radiation, damaging lung tissue and increasing the risk of lung cancer. Typically, it requires years of exposure before it causes any health concerns. 

What's the chance that I have radon in my home? 

In Utah, 1 in 3 homes have radon. In Minnesota 2 in 5 homes have radon. In Georgia that number jumps to 1 in 15 homes that have radon. Where you live changes how at risk you are at having radon in your home. Radon is a tricky thing, if you're living in a suburb where homes are right next to each other, one home might have it but neither of the neighbors do. 

How do I know if I have radon? 

It's recommended that you test for radon every 2 years. You might not have radon now, but that doesn't mean that uranium beneath your home won't start decaying and creating radon in the future. So set an alarm on your phone for every 2 years. 

There are many companies that will test your home for radon for free. They will send you a kit, you follow the steps and return the kit to their lab. If the test comes back high for radon, they will let you know and give you a quote on what it will cost to fix it. 

Tips, and Tricks

Radon remediation companies are trying to get your money. While radon does pose a real health risk, the risk is exposure to high levels over an extended period of time. So when the radon test kit tells you to set up the test in your basement and go out of your way to close all your windows and doors and not leave them open and only tests for a few days, I have to believe that those results will be biased. I really wish they'd say, “just go about your normal life, if you open windows or doors then go ahead. If not then don't,” because otherwise the results are skewed against you. If living your normal everyday life allows the radon to vent out, then there's no need for their thousands of dollars construction project. 

So, what do you do instead? I recommend purchasing a digital radon test (you can get them on Amazon) that will tell you the current radon level as well as the long term radon level. It's the long term level that you want to watch. Turn it on and leave it in your basement, then just watch the levels. Place it away from windows or outside doors for the most accurate results. Let it sit for at least a few months. If your long term levels are 2+ pCi/L then you should consider remediation. If your levels are below 2 pCi/L, then you just saved yourself thousands of dollars and you'll be able to monitor it regularly and not have to worry about testing every 2 years. 

If you do have high radon levels and don't want to pay for the venting system they want to put in your house, try venting in other ways, open windows and doors, turn on bathroom vent fans. Create a cross breeze by opening windows on opposite sides of the basement, or turn on a fan that's blowing towards an open window. Keep watching your long term radon levels. If what you are doing works to keep the level below 2 pCi/L, then you’re good. If not, try something else and if all else fails then request estimates from multiple companies before deciding which company to go with. 

Please note that even with remediation, you will never get zero radon. There will always be at least a tiny bit. Your goal, even with remediation, is to keep it below 2 pCi/L.

True Story

Recently I requested a free test kit and we followed all the directions. We went out of our way to keep doors and windows closed, more than we usually do because that’s what the directions instructed. We kept the test out for the few days we were supposed to and sent the kit back in after following all the directions exactly. When we got the results we were informed that our radon readings were just over 2 pCi/L and we needed remediation. They could of course help us with that. I spent some time requesting quotes from multiple companies. I researched radon, and read reviews. All the quotes came back over $1000, most were closer to $2000. In all of my research I discovered that I could purchase a digital radon monitor for less than $200, that would tell me what the current radon levels are as well as the long term radon levels. I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I started doing research. I decided to give it a shot. I bought the monitor, turned it on and placed it in my basement. As I write this our current radon level is 1.62 pCi/L. Our long term radon level (which has been monitoring for months now) is 1.83 pCi/L. Using this small device saved us thousands of dollars and I love that I can check it regularly. 

Side note: Someone just down the street from us had radon levels that came back at 16 pCi/L when they did their free test.

Disclaimer, I am not any sort of medical professional, scientist, or contractor. So please do all of your own research and consult professionals as needed.

Hopefully this article will help you save money, but more importantly, I hope it will help prevent you from getting lung cancer.