Radon Education
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Radon: A potential cancer-causing gas homes
Radon is a harmful, invisible, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas that comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Found all over the U.S., it can enter any building – homes, offices, and schools – and result in a high indoor radon level. Still, the most likely exposure is at home, where it can enter in various ways, including the foundation and well water.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., causing more than 21,000 deaths each year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths, but radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.
How to avoid radon?
It is easy to test your home for radon and stop it before it becomes a problem.
How do you test for radon?
Start with a short-term test kit that is affordable and easy to use. Purchase a radon test kit for $10 (including test instructions, analysis, and results) at your Gwinnett County Extension Office at 750 South Perry Street in Lawrenceville.
Test kits can also be purchased from the University of Georgia’s Radon Programs website for $15 (including shipping, analysis, and results). Retailers may offer kits at a different price, but the purchase price may not cover analysis or providing the results.
What happens once you have the kit?
The UGA Radon website contains a video that explains how to test a home with a short-term radon test kit. If the radon level is at or above 4 pCi/l, or picocuries per liter, you have high radon levels. You should test again with either a short-term (2 to 7 days) or long-term (3 to 12 months) device, depending on the exact situation. Long-term kits are more expensive and take longer to produce results, but they are also more accurate. If the second result is above 4 pCi/l, you should seek professional help and have your home mitigated. Mitigation is the technique used to remove radon from your home and should be done by a certified mitigator. In Georgia, there are no requirements for professional radon mitigators. The EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction provides a checklist to help you select a qualified radon mitigator.
What if your neighbor’s house has a low radon level?
While it may seem acceptable if your neighbors’ houses have a low radon level, you could still be at risk. Radon levels vary from house to house, so even if your next-door neighbor has a low radon level, it doesn’t mean your house has a similar level. The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test for it. It is up to you to keep your family safe from radon and its damaging effects.
For more information, contact Ines Beltran, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, at the UGA Extension Gwinnett office, 678.377.4010 or Ines.beltran@GwinnettCounty.com or UGAradon.org.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., causing more than 21,000 deaths each year. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths, but radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers.
How to avoid radon?
It is easy to test your home for radon and stop it before it becomes a problem.
How do you test for radon?
Start with a short-term test kit that is affordable and easy to use. Purchase a radon test kit for $10 (including test instructions, analysis, and results) at your Gwinnett County Extension Office at 750 South Perry Street in Lawrenceville.
Test kits can also be purchased from the University of Georgia’s Radon Programs website for $15 (including shipping, analysis, and results). Retailers may offer kits at a different price, but the purchase price may not cover analysis or providing the results.
What happens once you have the kit?
The UGA Radon website contains a video that explains how to test a home with a short-term radon test kit. If the radon level is at or above 4 pCi/l, or picocuries per liter, you have high radon levels. You should test again with either a short-term (2 to 7 days) or long-term (3 to 12 months) device, depending on the exact situation. Long-term kits are more expensive and take longer to produce results, but they are also more accurate. If the second result is above 4 pCi/l, you should seek professional help and have your home mitigated. Mitigation is the technique used to remove radon from your home and should be done by a certified mitigator. In Georgia, there are no requirements for professional radon mitigators. The EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction provides a checklist to help you select a qualified radon mitigator.
What if your neighbor’s house has a low radon level?
While it may seem acceptable if your neighbors’ houses have a low radon level, you could still be at risk. Radon levels vary from house to house, so even if your next-door neighbor has a low radon level, it doesn’t mean your house has a similar level. The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test for it. It is up to you to keep your family safe from radon and its damaging effects.
For more information, contact Ines Beltran, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, at the UGA Extension Gwinnett office, 678.377.4010 or Ines.beltran@GwinnettCounty.com or UGAradon.org.
