This colorless, odorless gas can seep into your home, school or place of work. As the radon decays it can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has extensively researched and has listed radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking.
The EPA has established action levels of radon at 4 pCi/L or less. Even if you have a radon mitigation system it is important to test every two years. Testing can be done by a NEHA listed professional or you can buy do-it-yourself radon test kits, available at most hardware stores for around $40.00 (including lab fees).
If testing indicates levels higher than 3.9 pCi/L, it is important to hire a Certified Radon Professional listed with the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Although certification is not required by law, a Certified Radon Professional has been educated in important protocols and will insure the system is installed properly and safely.
Illustration of How Radon Enters a Structure
DID YOU KNOW THE HEALTH RISKS?
Although 4 picoCuries per liter is the action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency, 4 is not a safe level.
An exposure of 4 pCi/L poses the same risk of getting lung cancer as someone that smokes 31 cigarettes a day.
Even when closed conditions exist in a structure for a long period of time, the radon level will not read inaccurately high. The radon gas does not accumulate or build-up since the half-life of radon is only four days.
The State of Colorado is considered a Zone I Area by the Environmental Protection Agency indicating most structures should be tested. If results warrant, the structure should be mitigated.
According to the Surgeon General, Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States and the second-leading cause in smokers. There is also a compounding impact of a 7 times greater risk that Radon will contribute to Lung Cancer in people that have smoked.
In the United States, Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, or approximately 58 radon-induced lung cancer deaths per day.
Since the inception of the EPA action level of 4 pCi/l in 1990, Canada has lowered its action level from an equivalent of 22.9 pCi/L to 5 pCi/L after studies indicated 20% of all lung cancer deaths were only due to radon. In addition, The World Health Organization also lowered its limit from an equivalent of 10 pCi/L to 5 pCi/L for similar reasons.
