What Is Radon Gas

What Is Radon Gas

Radon is a silent killer in that you cannot smell or see the gas. But here in Colorado (as well as many other states) we have some of the highest radon conditions in the country due to our subsoil materials (see EPA map of

US Radon here and for Colorado here).

There are over 160,000 deaths each year from lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (obviously behind smoking, which causes 87% of all lung cancers, the rest coming in order from radon, asbestos and air pollution). It is listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as Carcinogenic to Humans Group 1 substance, the highest level possible (radon is in the same group as items like asbestos, benzene, arsenic, etc.). Our intention is to help keep your home as safe as possible, especially for your little ones.

You may have previously had a radon test done on your home, but there are a number of reasons why you should do another test:

Ø Conditions change in your home from when you purchased it, like extra cracks in your concrete foundation or floor.

Ø You are using your basement more now that you have a small child in your home. Being closer to the basement floor makes them more prone to inhaling more of the gas.

Ø Radon counts in your home vary from one day to the next, so when you had it measured, it could have been at a low point. To see a study on time-variability of radon in homes, click here.

Ø Some home sellers or home builders do things (inadvertently or deliberately) to cause the radon count to be lower (such as leaving windows open during a short term test, tampering with the reader, etc.).

Even though you may have had your home tested previously, our recommendation is to do another test where you control the conditions, not the seller or builder. We would do a short term test of 48-96 hours in duration followed by a long term test of >90 days.

The short term test will give you quick snapshot as to whether you need to do mitigation in your home now. But this test needs to be done with all of your windows closed and not allowing a whole house fan to operate, which sometimes is difficult in the summer months, especially if it is hot.

The long term test does not require any closed conditions like the short term test and gives you a better average radon condition in your home over time.

For homes that have well water, you should seriously consider having the water tested for radon. It is not typically a risk for ingestion, but it contributes to the radon in air as it is rapidly released from water when it is flowing out of a faucet, in a washing machine or in a shower, and the water may have higher than acceptable levels of uranium or radium.

We are certified radon testers and can do this testing It is relatively easy and convenient, and will give you peace of mind for you and your family. If your radon count is high, we can help you mitigate your home.