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The text on this page is designed to inform you about radon testing in your home or workplace To skip ahead to decide what kind of test to do click here ; to order a detector kit click here.
Am I being exposed to dangerous levels of
radiation from the radon in my home or workplace?
That's the question that leads most people to think about testing their home or workplace
for radon. There are many buildings where long-term exposure to radon-related radiation
can be a serious health hazard. Most radon experts and radiation protection specialists
believe that if you are constantly being exposed at concentrations of approximately 4 pCi/L or more, then you are at risk. The only way to know for sure your radon exposure is
to test the radon levels in the spaces where you spend time. Make sure that you do tests
that give you information that is accurate enough to make a good decision.
What kinds of radon tests are best?
You will need to do a long-term test to get a measurement that will help you decide if it
is worthwhile to take action to reduce your radon exposure. By long-term, we mean 90 days
or more. The 90 days should span a strong seasonal change when your house goes from closed
conditions (continuous heating or cooling) to open or natural ventilation conditions.
It is best if the test lasts for a year. Unfortunately, most of the radon tests
being done today are short term, lasting only 2 to 7 days. That is too short a time to
reliably estimate the average radon concentration over the typical time most people reside
in their home because radon gas levels can vary tremendously from day-to-day and season to
season. That means if you happen to measure during a short period when the radon is
unusually high or low, you may be seriously misled. Follow this link to help you plan the kind of radon test suited
to your specific purpose.
How does radon change over time in a house?
Take a look at how the radon concentration varies in my house. (Temporal indoor radon changes). My
house is not unusual in its radon variation. Radon also varies within the building, so it
is important to measure the long-term average radon concentration in your lived-in spaces.
If you only are making a single measurement in a house be aware that in most houses
the radon concentration is highest in those rooms that are poorly ventilated and are close
to, or surrounded by, the ground.
Where can you get an inexpensive detector
for a long-term radon measurement in my home?
Alpha track detectors (ATDs) are the best choice for your first long-term radon
measurements. ATDs are available online; RSSI,
Accustar and Landauer make acceptable ATDs.
What short-term tests good for?
Short-term or screening measurements are fine if you want to quickly find out if your
homes has extremely high radon. But short-term measurements don't accurately predict the
health hazards associated with a lifetime's exposure to radon decay products.
If you are worried that your radon is so high that a year is too long to wait, combine a
year long measurement with a 30 day screening measurement. Follow this link for a more detailed response.
What kind of test do you recommend if you are selling
your house?
Start a long-term test using an alpha track detector as soon
as you decide that you might sell your house. The whole selling process is likely to take
more than a month, so you can start a towards a long-term measurement. The longer you have
the detector in place, the better the measurement. If you get an interested buyer who asks
for a radon test, you can send the detector back to the lab when the buyer makes a serious
offer and have the results within a week. Please note that some states or cities may have
specific rules for real-estate transactions. You should check with your state's radon contact. Follow this link for a more detailed response.
What kind of test do you recommend if you are buying
a house?
Ask for the results of a test that lasted for more than a few
days. If no test has been done, ask the seller to allow a 7 day to one month test.
If only a 2 day test was done, ask for a second test under closed house conditions.
This second test could consist of a week-long test for a rapid screening for extremely
high radon, and an alpha track test whose results could be used to access mitigation funds
in an escrow account post-sale. If you must take a 2 day test, I prefer an EPERM device because it is less likely to fail than
one based on charcoal canister. Please note that some states or cities may have
specific rules for real-estate transactions. You should check with your state's radon contact. Follow this link for a more detailed response.
Should I test my water supply for radon?
Test your air first. If you find high radon, you may want to
test your water if your water comes from wells. Surface water does not contain high radon
concentrations. Water is not a major source for radon exposure in most homes.
Testing of materials and surveys?
For those interested in more exotic tests we can: measure the radon potential of
source materials like water, soil, rock, and building materials; get an immediate picture
of the radon levels in a neighborhood or town using grab samplers; test radon reduction
systems by monitoring (almost instantaneously) changes in radon concentrations; measure
the radon concentrations outside your home. Call 800-820-3209 to discuss your needs and
interests.
Questions/Comments, e-mail: Dr. Steck
Last revised : 22 February, 2013
Visitor
since
02/22/13
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