When you own a home, you want it to be a healthy environment for you and your family. Two contaminants that can cause health problems in your home are radon and mold. There are tests available you can use to figure out if either of these contaminants is an issue in your home.
According to the Radon Testing Corporation of America, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. It kills approximately 21,000 people every year. The Surgeon General and Environmental Protection Agency re...
Since radon gas levels are usually higher inside than outside, the primary danger is from high concentrations of radon gas indoors. Alpha track tests can help homeowners determine whether they need to take steps to reduce radon...
As a single-atom gas, radon can penetrate almost any surface, making seepage into homes and office buildings possible. Because it displays no evidence of being present, however, the only way to detect it is to conduct radon tes...
Unfortunately, radon is also virtually omnipresent; it forms naturally from the decay of uranium in rocks and soil. Radon can build up to dangerous levels in houses and buildings so all homeowners should test their homes and co...
The earth produces the gas as radium, uranium and thorium go through radioactive decay. Because the gas itself is radioactive, it is a contributing risk factor for the development of a number of cancers, most commonly cancer of...
As a result, buildings in areas with high levels of radon in the soil have a greater incidence of unsafe radon levels. Homeowners can determine whether the radon level in their homes is unsafe using radon test kits or by hiring...
Radon's radioactive particles attach to other particles in the air, and molds growing in homes with water damage produce spores and stem fragments that become airborne. Lab tests can identify and measure levels of radon and var...
These kits come in a wide variety of forms, and may work through either passive or active methods. To gain accurate results from a radon test, you will need to take certain preparatory steps at your testing site.
Radon also has no color, odor or taste, which makes it impossible to detect by sensory perception alone. The only way to identify indoor radon levels is to test for the gas, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency...
Radon gas enters your home through cracks and other openings, and then remains trapped inside. The EPA recommends remediation when radon levels reach 4 pCi/L, but the President's Cancer Panel suggests lowering that number. Both...
Radon testing is not mandated by the federal government or by many states; for the most part, it's left up to individual cities and counties to adopt strict rules regarding radon-reducing construction techniques. Because each s...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends testing your home's radon levels every two years to protect yourself from the risk of lung cancer. Radon testing methods include both short-term and long-term tests. Short-ter...
Once the gas has formed, it seeps from the ground and can be trapped in buildings. Radon gas has been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer, so you should test your home for excessive levels. There are a couple of ways to p...
Radon is a radioactive element that is found underneath many homes in the United States--as many as one in 15 have elevated levels of radon, according to EDCMag.com. Radon testing is a requirement in many counties and states be...
According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, radon levels higher than 3 picocuries per liter of air have been shown to cause lung cancer. To reduce your risks from radon exposure, the U.S. Environmental Protection...
Radon poses no danger when present in low levels. When the gas accumulates in houses or poorly ventilated areas, however, it may lead to long-term complications. Potentially harmful levels of the colorless and odorless radon ga...
Radon can enter your home through cracks in the foundation and other openings. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you test the radon levels in your home every two years to make sure your home's radon value...
has radon at levels high enough to be a health concern. Exposure to radon over long periods of time causes lung cancer. Over 21,000 deaths are attributed to radon exposure annually. Three types of simple home radon gas test ...
