Is your home safe from Radon?

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the ​United States and claims roughly 20,000 lives annually. It is an odorless, cancer-causing, radioactive natural gas that is emitted from the ground and enters a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings. Since radon comes from rock and soil, it can naturally be found anywhere across the United States.

The health hazard associated with radon gas does not come directly from the gas itself. As radon gas decays, cancer-causing radioactive particles are emitted into the air and attach to the surface of such things as dust or aerosols. These radon decay products (polonium-218 and polonium-214) when inhaled, become deeply lodged in the lungs. The radioactive particles attack cells of bronchi, mucous membranes, and pulmonary tissues with dangerous, cancer-causing radiation. This ionizing radiation energy affecting the bronchial epithelial cells is believed to initiate the process of carcinogenesis thus increasing the chance of contracting lung cancer.

The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L, and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels. While this goal is not yet technologically achievable in all cases, most homes today can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below.