Home Buyers and Sellers Guide to Radon

EPA Recommends:

If you are buying or selling a home have it tested for radon.
For a new home, ask if radon-resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested.
Fix the home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk and, in many cases, may be reduced.
Take steps to prevent device interference when conducting a radon test.

EPA estimates that radon causes 22,000 cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas!

You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breath air containing radon, you increase your risk of lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your house has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

National Academy of Sciences Report on Radon
In February 1998, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its report on lung cancer: The Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon (the BEIR VI report). The NSA is an independent, non-governmental, scientific organization. The NAS estimates that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States and that 12 percent of all lung cancer deaths are linked to radon.

The BEIR IV Committee (Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation) concluded that after smoking, radon is the second leading cause of death due to lung cancer in the United States.

You Should Test for Radon

Testing is the only way to find out your home's radon levels. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.

You Can Fix A Radon Problem
If you find that you have radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

If You Are Selling a Home ...
EPA recommends that you test your home before putting it on the market and, if necessary, lower your radon levels. Save the test results and all information you have about steps that were taken to fix any problems. This could be a positive selling point.

If You Are Buying A Home ...
EPA recommends that you know what the indoor radon level is in any home you consider buying. Ask the seller for their radon tests results. If the home has a radon-reduction system, ask the seller for any information that they have about the system. If the home has not yet been tested, you should have the house tested. If you are having a new home built, there are features that can be incorporated into your home during construction to reduce radon levels.

Why Should I Test For Radon?

Radon Has Been Found In Homes All Over The United States
Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon can also enter your home through well water. Your home can trap radon inside.

Any home can have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home. That is where you spend most of your time.

Nearly one of every 15 homes in the United States is estimated to have an elevated radon level (4 pCi/L or more). Elevated levels of radon gas have been found in homes in your state. Contact your state radon office for information about radon in your area.

EPA and the Surgeon General Recommend That You Test Your Home
Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.

Surgeon General of the United States Health Advisor:
"Indoor radon gas is a national health problem. Radon causes thousands of deaths each year. Millions of homes have elevated radon levels. Most homes should be tested for radon. When elevated are confirmed, the problem should be corrected."

You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local and neighborhood radon measurements. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level in your home. Homes next to each other can have different indoor radon levels. Testing is the only way to find out what your home's radon level is.