The Oregon Public Health Division recommends that ALL residences be tested for radon regardless of the risk level assigned to the home’s geographic location.
RADON FACTS:
- Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette smoking.
- Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste.
- Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. Uranium is found in soils worldwide, with some areas having higher concentrations.
- Radon is harmful as it breaks down into solid particles. These are known as “radon decay products”. These decay products can be inhaled into the lungs and become trapped. They can damage the lung tissue by emitting radiation. Exposure to higher levels of radon will increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. This risk is greatly increased for smokers as radon decay products attach to smoke and dust.
- Radon gas is in the ground under the home. It enters the home through cracks and openings in the floor and foundation. Because radon gas is heavier than air, it can be trapped inside the home and build to unhealthy levels.
- Radon levels in your home can vary significantly from other homes in your neighborhood.
- The EPA suggests radon mitigation be done to the home when the average radon level is 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. The World Health Organization suggests mitigation be done at 2.7 pCi/L.
- The good news is that radon mitigation is not hard to accomplish. The cost could be from $500 to $3000 to design and install piping and a fan to remove the radon gas before it enters the home.
RADON TESTING:
For radon testing equipment we use is the Corentium Pro radon monitor. This is a continuous radon monitor that
gives instant results for home inspections for the fast paced real estate market. The radon report with graph will be presented the same day the test is completed which is usually 48 hours from start. The results in the report will include a written report and a graph that shows hourly information of the radon, temperature, humidity and motion sensor. The report makes it very easy to view and understanding the radon results for your home. The extra information is used to make sure there is no tampering with the radon monitor or other actions taken that are trying to lower the radon levels in the home during a real estate transaction.
Radon levels in the home will be higher in the winter months when the house is closed up. With the Corentium Pro radon monitor, we are able to take several tests at your home at different times of year and length of time for the tests. The software will combine the information from each result and give you a radon report based on the average of all the tests.
See below for more information on radon gas
EPA Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon
EPA Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction
World Health Organization Handbook on Indoor Radon
Oregon Health Authority publications on Radon:
Impact of Environmental exposures in Oregon: Radon health risks