A radon mitigation system is used to remove radon gas from an enclosed building. These systems can use either a passive or active approach to moving the radon gas out of the space and back into the open air.

Radon gas is a natural gas that is produced when uranium decays. The gas can be found in soil, rock, and water. When a home or building is placed on a foundation, the foundation is in direct contact with the source of radon gas. Over time and with environmental changes, the radon gas could collect in the lower level of the building and move upward through open spaces into the area of the home or building used most often.

Radon is always present in the air, but levels higher than 0.4 picocuries per liter of air are considered carcinogenic. This means the gas, when breathed regularly at higher levels, can cause cancer as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Once a radon test has established the presence of radon gas in a home or building, the radon mitigation system will need to be installed to remove that gas. Depending on the levels of radon or the previous attempts at radon removal, a passive or active radon mitigation system could be chosen.

The passive radon mitigation system uses a pipe running from the lowest level of the building through the walls and out through the roof. This pipe collects the radon gas and allows it to naturally move into open air at the top of the building. Passive systems are often used as a first line of radon gas treatment or when levels of radon gas are relatively low. Some new constructions install passive radon mitigation systems even if the building is not in an area where radon gas is a problem.

The active radon mitigation system is more effective than the passive system. A fan is placed in the lowest level of the building. This fan causes a vacuum effect in the space that forces all of the air to move through the installed pipe. The radon is often completely removed with an active mitigation system.

Many radon mitigation systems will work hand in hand with sealing or soil treatment on the home or business. The sealing does not work alone to obstruct the radon gas from entering the building, but can block some of the gas from entering the space. The sealing simply refers to patching any cracks in the foundation or basement of the building where radon gas could be seeping in.

The soil around the building may also be holding on to radon gas. Mitigation systems often include soil treatment, which draws the radon out of the soil. The soil system is used as part of a complete radon treatment plan that includes the sealing and pipe installation.

Radon kits are used to measure the amount of radon in the home or business. These kits are installed on the lowest level of the building where the radon is seeping into the space. Most radon comes from the soil or rock below a building entering into the air through cracks in the foundation. The radon kits can test short-term radon levels or long-term radon levels.

The short-term radon kits are used for less than 90 days in a space. These kits use no power and need to be sent to a lab for a final radon readout. This readout is then sent back to the person who ran the test. The long-term kits are installed for longer than 90 days and often use a digital readout powered by electricity to constantly measure the radon levels in a given space.

When measuring radon with radon kits, the air movement from outside needs to be limited to ensure an accurate reading. For this reason, all air exchange units need to be turned off during the test. This does not include air conditioning units that recirculate the air within a given space.

Other important tips to ensure an accurate reading include minimizing the opening of doors and windows and keeping the doors and windows shut for at least 12 hours before the start of the test, especially for the short term test. The radon kits need to be installed in a space in the home that is used regularly. If that space is the basement, the unit should be placed there. If the basement is not regularly used, the first floor of the building is the optimal place for the radon kits.

The radon kits need to be kept at least 20 inches from the floor. This ensures an accurate reading for breathable air and keeps the unit safe from damage during the testing period. The package instructions for the kit will tell the use how long the test needs to stay in place before the reading is complete for a short-term radon test.

The long-term radon kits are often left for more than 90 days. These units need to be installed in the same way as the short-term units, but employ the use of electricity and constant monitoring to measure spikes and dips in radon levels.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are three steps to radon detection using radon kits.

Step 1: Use a short-term test in the space to measure any immediate danger.

Step 2: If the short-term test measures radon levels at 4 or above, a long-term test or a second short term test should be used to verify the results.

Step 3: If radon levels are consistently above 4 on the test readout, correction measures should be taken to reduce the amount of radon.

Radon can enter the home through soil or water. While soil is the most imminent danger, the water seeping into the home during times of stormy weather can also increase the levels of radon. It is important to use radon kits on a regular basis even after steps have been taken to resolve the higher radon levels in the home. These radon kits will ensure no spikes in radon are continuing after the radon mitigation systems are installed and working.

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.

Radon, a colorless and odorless gas found in the air, can concentrate in the home or business without the knowledge of those inside. The gas seeps into the space through cracks in the foundation and collects in the lowest levels of a building. The gas then moves through the home or business via air conditioning systems and natural air movement. When levels reach above a 2, the human body will be more susceptible to cancer, including lung cancer.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are levels of radon in every space at any given time. The most common source of this radon is the soil on which the foundation of the building is sitting. Uranium rock decays and emits radon into the soil. Over time, this radon gas moves up through the layers of soil and then passes into a crawl space or basement through cracks. These cracks do not have to be large as the gas does not need much space to move.

Radon can also be found in the water supplies of the home and business. Private wells and public water systems that use groundwater are most susceptible to high radon levels. While ingesting radon-laced water can increase the chance of stomach cancer, the highest threat comes when the water is used and the radon gas is emitted into the air. Radon can be removed was water systems using point of entry filtering.

The effects of safe radon levels on the body are still harmful, but often cannot be avoided. Smokers tend to have higher risks of lung cancer associated with even the smallest amounts of radon in the air. At a level of 0.4, three smokers out of every 1,000 smokers could get lung cancer linked to the radon levels.

The safe levels of radon are below 2 picocuries per liter. Any levels of radon below 2 are very difficult to correct in the home, but this does not mean a threat is not present due to the “safe” levels.

Smokers and Radon Levels

At 0.4 picocuries per liter, three out of every 1,000 smokers could contract lung cancer. The level 0.4 is the normal level of radon measured in outside air. When those levels are raised to 1.3 picocuries per liter, 20 smokers out of every 1,000 could contract lung cancer. This level is the common, and safe, level measured in most homes.

Non-smokers have a lesser chance of contracting lung cancer from safe radon levels. At 1.3 picocuries per liter, only 2 non-smokers per 1,000 are at increased risk of having lung cancer. This is more than 15 times lower than that of a smoker.

Radon is present in every home and every open space. The safe radon levels are those we are forced to live with because they cannot be removed successfully from the atmosphere. People who smoke have no safe radon levels. Even the smallest amount of radon in the air can increase the chances of contracting lung cancer.