How to Test for Radon
Information You Need to Keep Your Home or Business Safe From Radon
As uranium breaks down underground it releases radon – a radioactive gas. This gas is tied to over 20,000 lung cancer cases every year.
The Environmental Protection Agency recommends homeowners all over the United States should test for radon regardless of location.
Virginia is known for having above average radon levels that should be a cause of concern for people with poorly ventilated homes.
Due to radon’s colorless and odorless properties, the only way to know if it’s present is to conduct tests.
The Virginia Department of Health states that long-term testing is recommended whenever possible. There are also testing kits for short-term sampling.
Your radon levels are likely to spike in the winter and fall in the summer. Making the cooler months the ideal time for conducting your tests.
What is the Easiest Way to Test for Radon?
Long-term radon testing may not be accessible or feasible for many homeowners. You can quickly get the radon levels information you need by using a short-term passive device.
EHS provides a radon testing device that circulates air through perforated end caps. This will retain any charcoal dust.
You should leave the test for 2-4 days to collect enough sample from your indoor atmosphere.
Once the air from your home has circulated through your device, seal it tightly with a cap to stop any gas loss.
From there it’s sent to a lab for analysis.
How to Pass a Radon Test
You can take action to lower radon levels in your home and get better testing results. To protect your health and any other building occupants, consider long-term solutions and not just methods of bypassing a test.
The number one way to fix levels is to air out your basement or bottom-level of your building.
You can increase fresh air flow by:
- Opening windows
- Installing vents in your basement
- Implementing the use of fans
- Create holes to allow air to escape
- Working with a radon mitigation service
Can You Beat a Radon Test?
Don’t try and beat a radon test to just surpass responsibilities you have as a property owner.
Beat a radon test by taking effective mitigation measures. These include sub-slab depressurization systems that draw the radon from under your house and send it through a pipe and into the air above your roof.
When mixed with the fresh outdoor air, the radon is much less potent than inside your home.
Effective ventilations and openings at your sump pump are also great ways to get rid of radon.
When to Take Action to Fix Your Radon Levels
Ideally you want to pass your radon test and not find an actionable level of the gas in your home. If your house has more than 4pCi/L (picocuries per liter) of radon gas, the EPA recommends immediately making efforts to fix the levels.
Radon is truly not safe for humans at any level, so the EPA further recommends fixes for homes with levels anywhere above 2 pCi/L.
For context, these measurements show how much radon is in the air inside your home. Radon levels at 4 pCi/L have health impacts equivalent to 100 chest X-rays. Even far below the action levels, there are concerns with radon exposure. Only 1 pCi/L can equal the harm done by 2.5 cigarettes each day.
Start Your Radon Test Today
Environmental Health Services works with homes and businesses across the United States to provide short-term radon testing solutions.
You can use our testing device to gather a reliable air sample and send it to our radon testing lab for accurate results.
Learn more about our radon testing services today to get started.