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Test for radon in winterThis time of year is the best time to use the short term test kit to check for radon in your home. The short term test kit works best when all doors and windows are closed and little fresh air is entering the house. Why should you be concerned about radon in your home? Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. For those who don't smoke, it is the leading cause of lung cancer. It is estimated that up to 22,000 deaths are associated with radon yearly. Generally available at hardware and home improvement stores, short term radon test kits take only two to three days. They are intended to provide awareness of a radon problem. If the test shows a high level, one can acquire a long term test kit that is exposed to the air in your home for three months to a year. Short term radon test kits are to be placed on the lowest livable level of the house. That means a basement rec room or bedroom but not a crawl space. What the test kit is intended to measure is the level of radon in the breathable space (two to five feet from the floor) on the lowest livable level of your home. Avoid placing the test kit near a window or door, in the path of a draft and have a four inch clearance around it. Also, it should not be placed in a bathroom or laundry room with high humidity, a furnace room with high heat, or on top of a water heater. It is very important to read the directions that come with the kit. They are quite specific about how the kit is to be prepared for use and how to send it in to the company to be read. It is best not to open the kit until you are ready to use it. Then, open the kit at the location it will be placed Each company has its own way of charging to read the results. For some, the cost is included with the purchase price; for other kits, an additional fee must be paid. Radon comes in the house from the soil below, so the lowest level usually has the highest reading. The radon is diffused as it filters up through the home with the top floor of a multilevel home having the lowest level of radon. Most of Colorado has the potential for a high radon levels, whether one lives in the mountains or on the plains. Any level over four pico curies per liter of air is considered a potential health hazard. The higher the level of radon or the longer one lives in a home with even low levels of radon, the more of a chance of acquiring lung cancer from the exposure. The EPA and national health organizations recommend that all homes in the United States, especially those in states with potentially high levels of radon, be tested. If a neighbor's home has tested low for radon, there is no guarantee that the level in your home will also be low. Test results can depend on the construction of the house, the materials used in construction, and the activity level of the family, going in and out, letting outside air in. High radon levels are easily corrected but should be done by a certified radon mitigator. To find a radon mitigator, contact your local extension office or the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Once a home has been mitigated, radon levels often drop below two pico curies per liter of air making it very safe for habitation. 2/18/08 Date: 2/12/08
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