There is no scientific doubt that Radon gas is a known human lung carcinogen. Prolonged exposure to high levels of Radon gas can cause lung cancer. Millions of homes and buildings contain high levels of radon gas. EPA's efforts are directed at locating the homes with high levels and encouraging remediation of them.
As a means of prevention, EPA and the Office of the Surgeon General recommend that all homes below the third floor be tested for Radon. Because Radon is invisible and odorless, a simple test is the only way to determine if a home has high radon levels. EPA recommends mitigating homes with high Radon levels and there are straight-forward reduction techniques that will work in virtually any home.
Most homes won't have a Radon problem, but there is a simple test to find out if you do or don't have high Radon levels in your home.
| Definition | Radon is a gaseous radioactive element having the symbol Rn, the atomic number 86, an atomic weight of 222, a melting point of -71ºC, a boiling point of -62ºC, and 18 radioactive isotopes; it is an extremely toxic, colorless gas; it can be condensed to a transparent liquid and to an opaque, glowing solid; it is derived from the radioactive decay of radium and is used in cancer treatment, as a tracer in leak detection, and in radiography. (From the word radium, the substance from which it is derived.). |
| Sources of Radon: | Earth and rock beneath home; well water; building materials. |
| Health Effects From Exposure to Radon: | No immediate symptoms. Estimated to contribute to between 7,000 and 30,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Smokers are at higher risk of developing Radon-induced lung cancer. |
| Steps to Reduce Exposure to Radon: | Test your home for Radon - its easy and inexpensive Fix your home if your Radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher Radon levels of less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk, and in many cases, may be reduced |
| Radon Levels in Homes: | Based on a national residential radon survey completed in 1991, the average indoor radon level is 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in the United States. The average outdoor level is about 0.4 pCi/L. |
| NAS BEIR VI Report |
National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VI Report: "The Health Effects of Exposure to Indoor Radon." |
| Radon in Water: | NAS Report on Radon in Drinking Water - "Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water." a link to NAS's Executive Summary of the report and initial EPA perspectives are available online from EPA at: http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/radon/nas.html. Public Health Standards for Radon in Drinking Water EPA is proposing new public health standards for radon in drinking water. The proposal would provide two options to States and community water systems for reducing radon health risks in both drinking water and indoor air quality, a unique multimedia framework authorized in the 1996 Amendments to the Safewater Drinking Water Act. http://www.epa.gov/safewater/radon.html. You can view the 10/19/99 EPA Press Release on the proposed standards on this site. |
| Radon in Real Estate Transactions | Financing the cost of RADON Reduction - HUD Section 203(k) mortgage financing program. This is HUD's primary tool for rehabilitating and improving single family homes. The program allows home buyers to finance the purchase and repair or improvement of a home using a single mortgage loan. Reducing Radon levels in a home is an improvement that can be financed through a 203(k) mortgage loan. |
| EPA's National Radon Proficiency Program (RPP) | Please note that the EPA RPP has shut down operations as of 10/1/98. Read more about the shutdown, policy issues and a description of alternative private proficiency programs. |
If you have further questions about Radon, please call your State Radon Contact or the National Radon Information Line at:
1-800-SOS-RADON
[1 (800) 767-7236]
or (if you have tested your home)The Radon FIX-IT Program at:
1-800-644-6999
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "