Radon: The odorless, cancer-causing gas that may be in your home
(NEXSTAR) — While some of the advice shared on NBC's 'The Office' is not necessarily actionable, a frequently shared sentiment from character Toby Flenderson may just be.
Toby, the human resources employee played by Paul Lieberstein, frequently asked for radon testing to be done in the office, at one point calling it a 'silent killer.'
Technically speaking, he isn't far off.
'Radon is colorless. It is odorless,' Amanda Koch, the radon program manager at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, explained to Nexstar. 'There are no obvious signs for when radon is inside your home.'
Radon is formed naturally when radioactive metals uranium, thorium, and radium break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains. Because it is naturally occurring, we're always exposed to it, but it is also capable of coming into buildings through cracks and gaps. If radon becomes trapped in your home, it can become dangerous.
Despite its prevalence, there is no known level of radon that is safe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The EPA recommends taking action if your home or building is found to have a radon level higher than 4.0 pCi/L.
Over time, exposure to higher levels of radon could lead to lung cancer. In the U.S., radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths, the CDC reports, and the leading cause among non-smokers. Estimates blame radon for more than 21,000 lung cancer deaths annually.
Treating lung cancer brought on by radon can be difficult, the CDC says, as symptoms may not develop for years. By then, it can be harder to treat.
Does that mean you should pull a Toby and put radon test kits throughout your home? Not exactly.
Several factors can contribute to whether your home has the potential for elevated radon levels. The EPA reviewed those factors — geology, aerial radioactivity, soil parameters, and home foundation types — and available indoor radon measurements to identify areas in the U.S. that are most at risk for having elevated levels of the radioactive gas.
Areas found by the EPA to have the highest potential for elevated radon levels are primarily in the northern half of the U.S., stretching from northern Washington, through the Plains and Midwest, along the Great Smoky Mountains, and into New England. Portions of the states in those regions, as well as in the West, are considered to have a 'moderate potential.' Other regions throughout the Pacific Northwest, along the Gulf, and north along the East Coast are listed as having a lower potential for high indoor levels of radon.
The map of radon zones, developed in 1993, doesn't show areas where radon is or isn't in homes, but rather to 'help governments and other organizations target risk reduction activities and resources.'
Some states, including Wisconsin, provide data regarding recent radon test results. Like the EPA's map, any local data on recent radon tests doesn't represent the level of radon within your home. Your proximity to radon-producing sources and your home's foundation type aren't sure-fire ways to determine your risk, either.
'The way that radon moves through the ground and through soil underneath the home can vary greatly from home to home,' Koch emphasized, noting that your neighbor could have a high level of radon in their home while your tests come back consistently low, or vice versa.
'The only way to know is to test,' Koch said.
Testing, according to Koch, is relatively simple. The kit — found at major hardware stores, online, or with your local health department — is typically placed on a surface in the middle of a room on the lowest level of your home for a few days before being sent to a lab for testing. Results are then available in about one to two weeks.
Koch said it is recommended that testing be done every two years, or after you do a major renovation in your home, like replacing doors or windows, or any foundation work.
Before you can perform a radon test, you'll need to maintain closed building conditions for at least 12 hours, according to Koch. Because of this, health officials typically recommend radon testing during winter or summer, when your windows and doors are more likely to be shut to keep in heat or the air conditioning, respectively.
Should your test find a radon level above 4.0 pCi/L, you may be encouraged to get a mitigation system installed.
As Koch explains, a pipe is installed in the building's foundation and connected to a small fan that pulls the gas up to your roofline and out into the ambient air. This can typically cost between $1,000 and $2,000.
In homes with crawlspaces, a high-density plastic sheet may be used to cover the earth floor. Then, a vent pipe and fan can be put under the plastic to draw the radon out, the EPA explains.
Sealing cracks can limit the flow of radon, but the EPA does not recommend using sealants only to reduce radon. The agency lists other methods of radon mitigation online.
While you don't necessarily have to go as far as Toby did in 'The Office' by placing radon tests in every room, you may want to take it as seriously as he does.
'It doesn't matter what kind of foundation structure you have, or even where you are located geographically, the only way to know is to test, and that is why we recommend that everybody do it,' Koch said.
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