You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it, but it can be deadly.
Radon is a radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water. It’s in the air we breathe and in small doses it’s generally not considered harmful.
But radon’s threat changes when it enters homes. It can seep into houses and buildings through small cracks or holes and build up in the air. Over time, breathing in high levels of radon can cause lung cancer. Tobacco smokers are especially at-risk of radon’s adverse health effects — the risk of lung cancer is 10 times higher than that of non-smokers.
You can keep yourself and your family safe from radon with regular testing. January is National Radon Action Month, so now is a good time to get a test kit.
In Pennsylvania, about 40% of homes have radon levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “action level” of 4.0 picocuries per liter, according to the commonwealth Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Philadelphia actually has some of the lowest indoor radon levels in the state on average, per the American Lung Association — but testing your own home is still important, since radon levels can vary from building to building.
According to DEP, testing kits usually cost between $20 and $30 and can be found at home improvement stores, hardware stores, and state-certified labs, or you can also hire a testing company to do the testing for you. DEP keeps a list of Pennsylvania-certified radon contractors, labs, and testers here.
Using a radon test is simple — DEP has some quick video instructions on how to do it. All you need to do is open up the kit and put it in a room on the lowest level of your home, about three or four feet above the ground. After about two to four days, mail the test to a lab for analysis, and they’ll send the results back to you. For help interpreting the results, you can contact DEP’s Radon Division.
