We are your Radon Testing Experts

Some radon facts:
- Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that forms from the decay of uranium
- Radon is lighter than air, so as the uranium decays underground, the resultant radon seeps upward through rock, soil and water
- Radon enters our homes through cracks in foundations, gaps around pipes, construction joints, sump pumps and other avenues from the soil beneath the home
- While the radon decays in air, it generates radioactive alpha particles
- We breathe the radon decay products (alpha particles) in with the air in our homes, and the decaying radon products stick to the lining of our lungs and damages the DNA, causing lung cancer
- Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers
- It is estimated that radon is responsible for approx. 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year
- The unit of measurement for radon is picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L)
- The estimated level of radon outdoors is 0.4 pCi/L
- The average level of radon in homes in the US is 1.3 pCi/L

- The “action level”, at which the EPA recommends you should “fix your home” (have a radon mitigation system installed) is 4.0 pCi/L or greater
- The EPA recommends you “consider fixing your home” if the radon level is between 2.0 and 4.0 pCi/L
- The highest radon level ever recorded in the US was in Upper Saucon Twp, PA, and was 6,176 pCi/L

- There is no “safe” level of radon
- With mitigation, most homes can be brought below 2.0 pCi/L

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Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania has one of the most serious radon problems in the United States (3 rd highest levels, behind Alaska and South Dakota)
- On average, about 1 in 15 houses nationwide is above the EPA action level, and needs mitigation. This is 6% of homes.
- The PA DEP and the American Lung Association estimate that 1 in 2.5 houses in Pennsylvania is above the EPA action level, and needs mitigation. This is 40% of homes in PA.
- The average level of radon in homes in PA is 8.6 pCi/L
- The 156- zip codes have some of the highest radon levels in the state
- Keeping in mind that the EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L….
- The highest recorded level of radon in the 15601 zip code (Greensburg) was 182.9 pCi/L
- The highest recorded level of radon in the 15636 zip code (Harrison City) was 201.3 pCi/L

- The highest recorded level of radon in the 15658 zip code (Ligonier) was 378.9 pCi/L
-The highest recorded level of radon in the 15632 zip code (Export) was 776.6 pCi/L

- The PA DEP recommends that every home, every school and every private or public building in Pennsylvania be tested for radon
- Every resident in Pennsylvania needs to worry about radon

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Westmoreland County, percentage of homes above 4.0 pCi/L action
level:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Radon Testing:

- A “short term” radon test is between 48 hours and 90 days; a “long term” test is more than 90 days
- By default, a short term real estate transaction test is 48 hours
- With any test shorter than 96 hours, the tested house must be under “closed house conditions” for the 12 hours prior to the test, and during the entire test
- Closed house conditions include things such as:
o Windows must remain closed
o Window air conditioning units may only be used if they recirculate air from inside the house
o Whole house fans shall not be used
o Dryer, range hood and exhaust fan usage should be kept to a minimum to prevent air from being drawn from the home
o Doors should remain closed, except for normal entry and exit
o Installed HVAC system shall be used in their normal manner
o Fireplaces and wood or coal stoves should not be operated
o Existing radon mitigation systems should remain functioning

- Any violation of the closed house conditions or tampering with/moving of the radon testing device will result in an invalid test

- Anyone conducting radon testing, mitigation or analysis in the state of Pennsylvania on a home that they do not own or lease is required by law to be certified by the PA Department of Environmental Protection

- This certification must be renewed every two years, and involves required ongoing training and testing
- My PA DEP certification number is 3662
- Any device used for testing must be approved by the National Radon Proficiency Program (NRPP) and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB)
- Before a device can be placed into service, the tester must undergo a proficiency testing process with it that involves the device being sent to a certified lab where it is exposed to a known level of radon. The tester must then determine the correct radon level from the device to show that he is capable of interpreting the results
- The devices must be calibrated once a year
- A comparison test must be conducted on every 10th test, where an second device is used to test simultaneously with the first. The devices must be within a specified margin of each other, or they
must be recalibrated.
- We use the Corentium Pro, a continuous radon monitor (CRM). It records the level of radon every hour, and provides the average level over the testing period, as well as the highest and lowest levels. It also measures relative humidity and temperature during the testing period, and has sensors to detect any tampering during the test. It generates a report of all testing parameters immediately following the termination of the test.
- It is recommended that homes that do not have active mitigation systems in place be re-tested at least once every 5 years, and homes that do have active mitigation systems in place be re-tested at least once every 2 years.

- Homes should be tested as part of any real estate transaction, and after any significant construction, remodel or renovation.