Are you a homeowner? If so, it probably feels like the list of things you have to do to keep your home up and running is never ending. However, owning a home comes with the responsibility to keep it in working order and keep it safe for you and your family to live in. Many people have everything from alarm systems installed to fire detectors to help keep everyone in the house safe and protected. When was the last time you had any testing for radon done in your house, though? This is often an overlooked issue for homeowners, but that shouldn?t be the case any longer.
Interested in learning more about how to pass a radon tests and how a radon testing company could help make your house safer to live in? Keep reading for more information about the dangers of radon and why it?s important to do regular testing for radon at home.
Why Radon Is a Concern in Homes Throughout the United States
Radon is a radioactive gas that is dangerous when it reaches certain levels. It is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that no home should have levels of radon that are higher than 4 pCi/l. When a home has radon levels that are over that limit, it can result in health problems for anyone exposed.
For example, if you live somewhere with radon levels over 4pCi/l, statistics show that it worse than standing near a radioactive waste site. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission states it?s actually 35 times worse how much radiation the family is exposed to. The Environmental Protection Agency also states that there are seven states in which at least one in every three homes has levels of radon that are too high. They did testing for radon to discover these findings. All-in-all, the Environmental Protection Agency believes that at least one in 15 homes anywhere in the United States are likely to have radon levels that are too high.
One reason high levels of radon exposure is dangerous to humans is that it can lead to health problems like lung cancer. Right now, in the United States the second leading cause of lung cancer is radon exposure, according to the Surgeon General. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Surgeon General?s Office claim that each year, approximately 20,000 people die of lung cancer related to some type of radon exposure.
Testing for Radon and Ways to Handle High Radon Levels
If you are concerned about whether your house has high radon levels, the first thing to do is testing for radon. You can work with a radon testing and inspection company to find out what the levels of radon are in your house. The right company will be able to assess your situation and provide valuable information about what the radon exposure is for those living in your home. This information could even be valuable for those who live near you as their homes could also have too high levels of radon.
Different radon testing companies may go about the process in various ways. One way to assess your situation is to do some type of short-term testing for radon. You can leave a short-term detector in your home for two to 90 days to measure radon levels. If you prefer to do longer-term testing, you can leave a long-term detector in the home to measure radon levels for more than 90 days.
If you already know that you have high levels of radon in your home and you want to try to lower the radon levels, you can some options. One of the best ways to deal with high levels of radon is to add radon ventilation fans throughout your home. By adding these fans in your home, you can hopefully reduce radon levels by 50% or more. A company that does testing for radon can help decide which option is right for you and your home based on the levels of radon found.
Have you had your house tested for its radon level? If you had high levels, what are you going to do to lower the level? Let us know in the comments about your experience handling this situation.
