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Radon Inspection
Castle to Cottage Home Inspections, Inc. will place short-term charcoal canisters in the home for 2 to 5 days. Homes with finished basements or a new homeowner that anticipate finishing the basement, should use two sets. One set in the basement and another set in the first floor living area. The results will yield an estimate of the radon levels in this home. Ulster County tests indicate about 8% of the first floor living areas have levels above 4 pCi/L and 34% of basements have levels above the EPA standard. Test results are available 2 to 4 days after the canisters have been collected. Before deciding on a radon test please read the information below and links to excellent web sites. If you have questions, Charles will be glad to answer any further questions.
New York State Radon Program
Environmental Protection Agency
What is Radon?
Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it. Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. High levels of radon have been found in every state in the US. One in fifteen homes in the US has radon levels above 4pCi/L, the EPA action level.
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Health Effects of Radon
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Of the 155,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United States, about 12% are due to radon exposure. The remainder is due to smoking. According to the National Academy of Sciences, radon is estimated to cause about 15,000 deaths per year, although the number could be as high as 22,000.
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How Radon Enters the Body
Radon and its decay products are inhaled and become lodged in the lungs where they can radiate the cells lining the respiratory system. The radioactive decay products of the radon emits alpha particles which are damaging to these tissues. Exposure to elevated levels of radon greatly enhances the risk of lung cancer. Even small exposures to radon can result in increased cancer risk. Smoking combined with radon poses a very serious risk
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Sources of Radon in the Home
Radon gas can enter a home from the soil under the house through cracks in the concrete slab, floors, or walls and through floor drains, sump pumps, construction joints and cracks or pores in hollow-block walls. Normal pressure differences between the house and the soil can create a slight vacuum in the basement, which can draw radon from the soil into the building. The design, construction and ventilation of the home can affect the radon levels of the home. Well water can be another source of indoor radon. Radon released by well water during showering or other activities may release radon gas into the home. Radon in water is a much smaller factor in radon exposure than radon in soil. Radon exposure outdoors is much less of a risk than indoors because the radon is diluted to low concentrations by the large volume of air.
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When to Test
The EPA recommends that all residences below the third floor level be tested for radon. In addition, the EPA also recommends testing all rooms in contact with the ground in schools. If you have tested your home, you should retest every two years since radon levels can change with structural changes in the home. If you decide to use a lower floor of your home, such as a basement, you should test this level before occupancy. In addition, you should always test prior to the purchase of a home.
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Radon Testing as Part of the Real Estate Transaction
If you are thinking of buying a home, you should have a radon test done before purchase. You may want to consider including provisions in the real estate contract specifying details about the radon test. Make sure the test is done in the lowest level of the home suitable for occupancy. In addition, we recommend using a Professional Tester to administer your radon test, according to EPA or your state's protocols.
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Types of Tests
There are two categories of radon tests:
Short-term tests and Long-term tests.
Short-term tests measure radon levels for exposure periods of 2 days to 90 days, depending on the device. Short-term testing is extremely useful when you need results quickly such as during a real estate transaction. Most common tests for radon last 2-7 days.
Long-term tests measure radon levels for 90 days to one year. These tests give results which are more likely to reflect the seasonal or year round average radon level of the home.
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Interpreting the Test Results
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter [pCi/L]. Levels at or above 4 pCi/L should be reduced through mitigation. For more information on reducing levels of radon in your home, request a copy of the EPA Consumers Guide To Radon Reduction, "How to Reduce Radon Levels in your Home."
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