Uploaded December 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. The agency reports that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in the United States and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year, only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil and water that can build up to dangerous levels inside a home or other type of building; this includes new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without a basement states the EPA. This can occur because radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into the home or building through cracks and other holes in the foundation. While radon from soil gas is the main cause of problems, in some situations, radon can also enter the home through well water.
The EPA also reports that homes with high levels of radon have been found in every state, and that radon levels can also vary greatly from home to home or building to building - even levels in structures next door can be very different.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), a measurement of radioactivity. In the United States, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend fixing homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L. The EPA also recommends that people think about fixing their homes for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.
This is important because when people breathe in radon, radioactive particles from radon gas can get trapped in the lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted increase the risk of lung cancer and it may take years before health problems appear. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and EPA urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon. Fortunately, testing a home or building is affordable and if it has a problem, it can be fixed.
These are just a few of the many things to know about radon and indoor environmental quality. To learn more about this or other building science, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. The agency reports that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in the United States and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year, only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil and water that can build up to dangerous levels inside a home or other type of building; this includes new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without a basement states the EPA. This can occur because radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into the home or building through cracks and other holes in the foundation. While radon from soil gas is the main cause of problems, in some situations, radon can also enter the home through well water.
The EPA also reports that homes with high levels of radon have been found in every state, and that radon levels can also vary greatly from home to home or building to building - even levels in structures next door can be very different.
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L), a measurement of radioactivity. In the United States, the average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. The U.S. Surgeon General and EPA recommend fixing homes with radon levels at or above 4 pCi/L. The EPA also recommends that people think about fixing their homes for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.
This is important because when people breathe in radon, radioactive particles from radon gas can get trapped in the lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles that cannot be seen, smelled or tasted increase the risk of lung cancer and it may take years before health problems appear. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and EPA urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon. Fortunately, testing a home or building is affordable and if it has a problem, it can be fixed.
These are just a few of the many things to know about radon and indoor environmental quality. To learn more about this or other building science, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
