Radon Test Kits: Do You Need One?
Radon test kits are used to measure the level of radon in the air of a home or business. Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that can cause an increased risk of cancer when levels are higher than acceptable for any length of time. While every building should be tested for radon levels, those built in areas with noted radon problems should run both a short term and long term radon test kit in the home to rule out any problems.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has mapped the United States of America for potential radon levels. This map includes Zones 1, 2 and 3. Zone 1 includes the area with the highest potential for radon problems. These areas are most often located in the northwest, Midwest and northeastern United States.
Zone 2 is reserved for areas with less threat than Zone 1, but a measureable radon threat none the less. Zone 2 is scattered through the US with heavier areas in the southwestern United States.
Zone 3 poses the least danger for radon gas in the home or business. Areas noted as Zone 3 should still be tested for radon as a prevention tactic, but should test lower than the accepted levels in most cases. The highest concentration of Zone 3 areas is in the southeastern US.
Radon test kits work with either short or long-term time lines. The short radon test kit can take as little as 48 hours to measure the radon levels in the air. These kits are sent off to a lab for radon measurement after the test is complete. Long-term tests use fans and electricity to monitor radon levels on a regular basis and can be installed in a space for more than 90 days at a given time.
The short-term radon test kits are to be used in conjunction with the long-term tests. Most often, the short-term test will be used first to rule out any immediate dangers to the people using the space. If the short-term test measures high levels of radon in the air, mitigation or removal process should be started as soon as possible. Many people choose to run a second short term radon test kit in the home or a long-term test in order to verify the levels measured with test one.
Radon levels higher than 4 in the home are considered very dangerous to humans. Radon can cause cancer, commonly lung cancer, in people who breathe the air laced with radon. This naturally occurring gas enters the home or business without the knowledge of those inside. There is nothing that can be done to prevent all radon in the air, but keeping the air levels to a minimum can be accomplished with mitigation kits installed after the positive radon test kits are completed.
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