Radon
Radon is a colorless, tastless, odorless gas that is caused by decaying uraniun. It is in the ground just about everywhere
and enters the home through the cracks in the ground and foundation. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase the
risk of getting lung cancer. The Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer
in the United States.
Radon from soil is the main cause of radon problems. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water
. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, too.
The only way to know the radon levels in a home,
is to test. The EPA and Surgeon General recommmend testing all homes below the third level for radon. Any home can have a radon problem.
This means older homes and new homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, as well as homes with basements or those without basements. Do
not rely on radon test results that have been taken in other homes in your neighborhood. Homes which are next to each other can have
different radon levels.
If Your Home Has Not Yet
Been Tested For Radon
Have a test taken as soon as possible. The radon test result is important information about your home's
radon level. When hiring a contractor to test your residence, protect yourself by hiring a qualified company. Many states require
radon professionals to be licensed, certified, or registered. North Carolina does not require testers to be certified. However, without
formal training and continuing education, you can not be sure that the tester is following the EPA protocols and that the results
from measurement are accurate. Mecklenburg Inspections, Inc. is a certified Residential Measurement Provider with the National Environmental
Health Association, National Radon Proficiency Program. Our certification is current through continuing education classes and on going
publications. The continuous monitors that we use are also certified and are calibrated yearly traceable back to the EPA.
Make sure that all parties are aware of testing procedures before starting a radon measurement in the home. The home will need to
be in "closed house" conditions 12 hours prior to testing. For more information, visit the EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to
Radon at http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html
A notice should be placed at the home and removed once the testing
is complete.
Radon and Granite countertops
Click to view the positon on radon in granite counter tops from the Science and Technical
Committee of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST)