Radon Testing.
Keep your family safe by testing the radon levels in your home.
General Radon Testing Information:
Radon is a carcinogenic gas that is hazardous to inhale and radon testing is recommended for all homes in Colorado. Build-up of radon in homes is a health concern and many lung cancer cases are attributed to radon exposure each year. Each year, about 12% of lung cancer cases and more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung causes. The Surgeon General of the United States has issued a Health Advisory warning Americans about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Surgeon General urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing. He also stressed the need to remedy the problem as soon as possible.
You cannot see, smell or taste radon, but it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
Radon Myths and Facts
FACT: Although some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon, all the major health organizations (like the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Lung Association and the American Medical Association) agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers.
FACT: Radon testing is easy and inexpensive.
FACT: Reliable testing devices are available from qualified radon testers and companies.
FACT: There are simple solutions to radon problems in homes. Hundreds of thousands of homeowners have already fixed radon problems in their homes. Radon levels can be readily lowered for $800 to $2,500 (with an average cost of $1,200).
FACT: House construction can affect radon levels. However, radon can be a problem in homes of all types: old homes, new homes, drafty homes, insulated homes, homes with basements and homes without basements. Local geology, construction materials, and how the home was built are among the factors that can affect radon levels in homes.
FACT: High radon levels have been found in every state. Radon problems do vary from area to area, but the only way to know your radon level is to test.
FACT: It’s not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test for it.
FACT: Where radon problems have been fixed, home sales have not been blocked or frustrated. The added protection is sometimes a good selling point.
FACT: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you’ve lived with a radon problem for a long time.
FACT: A short-term test, followed shortly by a second short-term test can be used to decide whether to fix your home. However, the closer the average of your two short-term tests is to 4 pCi/L, the less certain you can be about whether your year-round average is above or below that level. Keep in mind that radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose some risk. Radon levels can be reduced in most homes to 2 pCi/L or below.