At A Lady Home Inspection Service, we don't use the standard charcoal canister which has to be sent to the lab for analysis, making you wait and then only reveals the total amount of the radon concentration. We use a continuous monitor which not only yields results right away but samples the air each hour for the entire 48 hours and actually shows if there are spikes or if the level remains fairly consistent.

We realize that money can be tight when moving into a new house. We don't charge extra to make a special trip. So, if you want to hold off on the radon test until you settle in, that's no problem.

Radon is radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.

Radon is the second leading cause to lung cancer. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. The Surgeon General and the EPA recommend testing for radon and reducing radon in homes that have high levels.

You cannot see radon, but it's not hard to find out if you have a radon problem in your home. All you need to do is test for radon. The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picocuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L". The EPA recommends you fix your home if the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, the EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their homes for radon levels between 2pCi/L and 4pCi/L."

Here are some Facts:

• Lung cancer kills thousands of Americans every year. The untimely deaths of Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve have raised public awareness about lung cancer, especially among people who have never smoked. Smoking, radon, and secondhand smoke are the leading causes of lung cancer. Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those with cancer. From the time of diagnosis, between 11 and 15 percent of those afflicted will live beyond five years, depending upon demographic factors. In many cases lung cancer can be prevented.
• Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
• Radon is a national environmental health problem. Elevated radon levels have been discovered in every state. The US EPA estimates that as many as 8 million homes throughout the country have elevated levels of radon. Current state surveys show that 1 home in 5 has elevated radon levels.

• What are the Health Effects From Exposure to Radon? "No immediate symptoms. Lung cancer is the only health effect which has been definitively linked with radon exposure. Lung cancer would usually occur years (5-25) after exposure. There is no evidence that other respiratory diseases, such as asthma, are caused by radon exposure and there is no evidence that children are at any greater risk of radon induced lung cancer than adults."

The following is an updated chart of the lifetime risk of lung cancer death per person from radon exposure in homes (excerpted from the updated radon risk assessment).

Radon Level a	Lifetime Risk of Lung Cancer Death (per person) from Radon Exposure in Homes b
pCi/L	Never Smokers	Current Smokers c	General Population
20	36 out of 1,000	26 out of 100	11 out of 100
10	18 out of 1,000	15 out of 100	56 out of 1,000
8	15 out of 1,000	12 out of 100	45 out of 1,000
4	73 out of 10,000	62 out of 1,000	23 out of 1,000
2	37 out of 10,000	32 out of 1,000	12 out of 1,000
1.25	23 out of 10,000	20 out of 1,000	73 out of 10,000
0.4	73 out of 100,000	64 out of 10,000	23 out of 10,000
a  Assumes constant lifetime exposure in homes at these levels.   b  Estimates are subject to uncertainties as discussed in Chapter VIII of the risk              assessment.   c  Note: BEIR VI did not specify excess relative risks for current smokers.

How does Radon get into my house?

The magnitude of radon concentration indoors depends primarily on a building's construction and the amount of radon in the underlying soil. The soil composition under and around a house affects radon levels and the ease with which radon migrates toward a house. Normal pressure differences between the house and the soil can create a slight vacuum in the home that can draw radon gas from the soil into the building.
Radon gas can enter a home from the soil through cracks in concrete floors and walls, floor drains, sump pumps, construction joints, and tiny cracks or pores in hollow-block walls. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and ground floor rooms that are in contact with the soil. Factors such as the design, construction, and ventilation of the home affect the pathways and sources that can draw radon indoors. Another source of radon indoors may be air released by well water during showering and other household activities. People who have private wells should test their well water to ensure that radon levels meet EPA's newly proposed standard.

I'm building a home. Can I prevent high levels of Radon?

Absolutely.

• Radon-resistant new construction (RRNC) typically costs a builder between $250 and $750.
• RRNC could cost less than $250 if the builder already uses some of the same techniques for moisture control.
• For a builder, it is much less expensive to install a radon-resistant system during construction than to go back and fix a radon problem identified later.
• If a new homeowner tests for radon and has to mitigate high levels, it could cost the builder or the owner as much as $2,500.
• Some builders use the same construction techniques for better moisture control. For peace of mind, ask your builder to include a radon reduction system in your new home and test your new home for elevated levels (4 pCi/L or more) of radon gas before you move in.

Gravel: Use a 4-inch layer of clean, coarse gravel below the “slab” or the floor of the crawl space. This layer of gravel allows the soil gases, which includes radon, that occur naturally in the soil to move freely underneath the house. Builders call this the “air flow layer” or “gas permeable layer” because the loose gravel allows the gases to circulate.

Plastic Sheeting or Vapor Retarder: Place heavy duty plastic sheeting (6 mil. polyethylene) or a vapor retarder on top of the gravel to prevent the soil gases from entering the house. The sheeting also keeps the concrete from clogging the gravel layer when the slab is poured.

A Vent Pipe: Run a 3-inch or 4-inch solid PVC Schedule 40 pipe, like the ones commonly used for plumbing, vertically from the gravel layer (stubbed up when the slab is poured) through the house’s conditioned space and roof to safely vent radon and other soil gases outside above the house. (Although serving a different purpose, this vent pipe is similar to the drain waste vent, DWV, installed by the plumber.) This pipe should be labeled "Radon System." Your plumber or a certified radon professional can do this.

Sealing and Caulking: Seal all openings, cracks, and crevices in the concrete foundation floor (including the slab perimeter crack) and walls with polyurethane caulk to prevent radon and other soil gases from entering the home.

Junction Box: Install an electrical junction box (outlet) in the attic for use with a vent fan, should, after testing for radon, a more robust system be needed.