Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas that has been estimated to cause 5,000 to 20,000 lung cancer deaths yearly. It is second only to smoking as a cause of lung cancer. It has been estimated that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the US has elevated radon levels.
Radon is mainly released from soil, water, natural gas exposed to radon, solar-heating systems that use radon-emitting rocks, and from uranium or phosphate mine tailings. Radon is naturally released in low concentrations, but inside your house, radon gas can become more concentrated. Lack of ventilation exhaust fans that bring in air from outside can increase the amount of radon in your home.
For people selling their homes, the EPA recommends that the house be tested for radon, and radon levels be reduced if necessary. Radon levels can be reduced, by increasing the airflow into the house, by keeping vents open year round, and discouraging smoking in the house. For buyers, the EPA recommends that radon test results should be obtained, as well as information about any radon reduction systems.
There are two types of testing devices available: passive devices and active devices. Passive devices are exposed to air in the home for a specified amount of time and sent to a laboratory to be analyzed. Active devices continually measure and record the amount of radon in the air. These devices require operation by trained testers.