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DID YOU KNOW THAT RADON IS THE SECOND LEADING
CAUSE OF LUNG CANCER? ACCORDING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), 1 OUT OF EVERY 15 HOMES TESTS HIGH FOR RADON (Average). The HOME Inspector, LLC offers quality radon testing using the most updated equipment and
methods which complies with all EPA guidelines. For More Information Regarding The Radon Levels In Your Area, Please Click Here: ______________________________________________________
Our NY State Certified Radon Measurement Specialists provide both Active and Passive testing options:
1)
Our professional inspectors use passive testing can be conducted using an activated charcoal test kit. After 48 hours (minimum),
these must then be sent to a laboratory for reading/verification. The results can take 7-10 days.
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The Following
information comes from the Environmental Protection Agency Web site (www.epa.gov)
What is Radon?
Radon is
a radioactive gas that is found in soil and rock in all parts of the United States. It is formed by the decay of uranium,
which is a natural process. Radon gas is invisible, and it has no odor or taste.
What Types of Buildings Contain
Radon?
Radon may be found in all types of homes and buildings in the United States. If there is radon gas in the ground,
it can seep into a building.
Radon typically moves up from the ground into a home through drains, cracks or other
holes in the foundation. Radon then can be trapped inside the home.
How Does Radon Affect Health?
The EPA
has declared radon to be a "Class A Carcinogen". It is the second leading cause of Lung Cancer in the United States.
The higher the radon level indoors, the greater the amount you breathe. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles
that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down, these particles release small bursts of energy. This
can damage lung tissue.
Inhaling indoor air containing radon over a period of many years can increase your risk
of getting lung cancer. Your chance of getting lung cancer from radon depends on how much radon is in your home and how much
time you spend in your home. If you are a smoker or a former smoker, the risk of getting lung cancer from radon is even greater.
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Does Your Home Have High Radon Levels?
You cannot see, smell or taste radon. Therefore, testing
is the only way to determine the radon level in your home.
Has Your Building Been Tested Already?
If the building
you live in has been tested properly for radon, then you probably do not need to test for radon yourself. Before or after
you move in to your home (whether you live in a house or apartment building), you can ask the owner if the building has been
tested for radon. If the owner tells you that radon testing has been done already, you can ask for a copy of the test results.
If you have questions about those results, you can call your state radon office for help, or call the National Radon Helpline
at 1-800-557-2366.
If you do not know whether your building has been tested properly for radon, you can test for
radon yourself or ask the owner to test.
EPA Recommends Testing All Homes Below the Third Floor
Because
most indoor radon comes from naturally occurring radon in the soil, high indoor levels are more likely to exist below the
third floor. This is why EPA recommends testing all homes below the third floor.
In some cases, high radon levels
have been found at or above the third floor, due to radon movement through elevators or other airshafts in the building. If
your apartment is at or above the third floor and you are concerned about this possibility, you could also decide to test
for radon.
The test should be placed in the lowest level of your home that your family uses regularly. For example,
if you live in a house and you use the basement, place the test device there. Otherwise, use the first floor. Put the test
kit in a room that is used regularly, but NOT in your kitchen or bathroom.
Keep doors and windows closed as much
as possible during the test. Drafts can affect the test results.
What do radon test results mean?
Radon levels
are measured in "picocuries per liter" or "pCi/L." The higher the level, the greater the risk from long-term
exposure. EPA recommends that you take action to reduce radon if the radon level in your home is 4 pCi/L or higher. (This
"action level" was set at 4 pCi/L partly because it is technically possible to reduce radon to 4 pCi/L in most homes.)
If you took a short-term test and your results were 4 pCi/L or higher, EPA recommends doing a second test to confirm
the results. You can do this follow-up test yourself, or you can contact the owner about the owner doing further testing.
The Appendix contains an excerpt from EPA's Citizen's Guide to Radon, which explains more about follow-up testing.
If you have questions about what your test results mean, contact The HOME Inspector, LLC at (518)461-9272 or your state
radon office.
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