What is radon in homes

When it comes to reducing your cancer risk, one important step could be right under your nose, or your feet. Getting your home tested for radon can help protect you and your family from a key cause of lung cancer. Radon is a gas that occurs naturally outdoors in harmless amounts. It sometimes gets concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps.

Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space. When someone breathes in radon gas, it goes into their lungs, exposing them to small amounts of radiation. This may damage the cells in the lining of the lungs and increase a person's risk of lung cancer.

The risk is higher in those who have lived for many years in a radon-contaminated house. Exposure to the combination of radon gas and cigarette smoke creates a greater risk for lung cancer than either factor alone. To find out more about radon test kits, visit Radon Hotlines and Information Resources external icon or refer to the EPA external icon web site on how to use a test kit.

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Minus Related Pages. More Information. Radon contributes to over 20, American deaths each year. Request a service appointment today. So what causes radon? Radon exists naturally in the ground, and there are five common causes of radon in your home. Any of these sources can release the deadly gas into your home, where it is trapped and can build to dangerous levels.

The radon source you should be most wary of is the soil beneath your home. What causes radon is the decay of radioactive elements that naturally occur in rocks and stones in the soil.

If there is radon in the ground below your home, it will find its way through cracks, gaps, and porous materials into your home. Underground basements are especially concerning. To build the basement, your home builder dug deep into the earth and potentially made contact with radioactive elements like uranium. Radon gas will rise into the home through the smallest of basement wall or floor cracks. Similarly, rocks beneath your home contribute a large portion of the radon escaping into the house.

Rocks and stones contain veins of radioactive materials that decay into radon. Testing is the only way to determine radon levels. Have your home tested, either by a professional or with a do-it-yourself home test kit. If radon levels are high, contact a certified radon service professional to fix your home. Usually, radon problems are fixed using an underground ventilation system or by increasing the rate of air changes in the building.

For more information about indoor air quality and the health risk of radon, visit Health Risk of Radon. Return to Frequent Questions about Radiation Protection. Skip to main content.