Although radon is a naturally occurring gas in our environment, it is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S., according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
You cannot predict your home's radon level based on state or local radon measurements or on test results taken in other homes in your neighborhood. Testing is the only way to find out what your home's radon level is. I use special continuous monitoring technology that takes samples of the air over a brief and limited time over a couple of days, which may be important especially when you are buying or selling a home.
Nearly one out of every 15 homes is estimated to have elevated radon levels. The Surgeon General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend testing in all houses. Millions of Americans have already had their homes tested for radon, and you should too.
You can fix a radon problem. If your home has high radon levels, there are ways to fix it. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable and healthier levels.