Do you test your home for radon? You should.
Keep your home safe by testing this month
Regular home maintenance is important to keep your home safe. You’ve heard that you should change the batteries in your smoke alarms twice a year. But did you know you should also test your home for radon?
And did you know that if your home has a history of elevated radon levels, you should test for radon every two years?
For that matter — What is radon, how would you know if your house has had a radon problem, and why is testing important? This is the perfect time of year to find out.
What is radon?
Radon is an invisible and odorless radioactive gas. It’s created by the decay of certain minerals in the ground that are released into the air. Because radon comes from the environment, the amount you’re exposed to depends on your location. Different regions of Washington have different amounts of radon because of their geology. You can explore an interactive map of radon across Washington here.
Why does radon matter?
Radon is the single largest source of radiation exposure for most Washingtonians. As a result, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. The presence of radon raises the risk of lung cancer by ten times for smokers!
Radon can collect in homes and other buildings, particularly on lower floors, because it comes up from the ground. The more time you spend in a building with elevated radon levels, the higher your exposure and risk of developing lung cancer. Since most of us are spending more time at home these days, it’s more important than ever to make sure your home has safe levels of radon.
How do you know if your home has unsafe levels of radon?
If you recently bought a home, a radon report may have been included as part of the sale. If you don’t have a recent report, you’ll want to test your home.
Radon testing is easy and inexpensive. Winter is the best time to test, too! Testing kits are available at home improvement stores or online for about $20.
- Just set up the testing kit and wait;
- Put the test in the envelope that’s included with the kit;
- Then send it off.
A lab will determine if your home has elevated radon levels and report back to you. Even if your house is not in a high radon area, or if your neighbor’s house has safe levels of radon, it’s still a good idea to test. Buildings can trap radon at different rates, based on construction, condition, and ventilation.
Should you test regularly?
If testing has ever indicated elevated radon levels in your home, then you know that your home is more likely to collect radon, and you should test on a regular basis. Even if you have taken steps to reduce the radon your home collects, you should test your home every two years to make sure that radon levels remain low.
What can you do if your home tests high for radon?
There are many ways to reduce radon levels in your home that are usually not expensive or difficult. If you find elevated levels in your home, contact a certified radon mitigation company to learn more about what you can do to reduce your levels.
For more information about radon in Washington, visit doh.wa.gov/radon; email DOH.Radon@doh.wa.gov; or call Gary Garrety at (360) 236–3200.
More Information
Information in this blog changes rapidly. Sign up to be notified whenever we post new articles. For more information from the Washington State Department of Health, visit doh.wa.gov.
Questions about COVID-19? Visit our COVID-19 website to learn more about vaccines and booster doses, testing, WA Notify, and more. You can also contact the Department of Health call center at 1–800–525–0127 and press # from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday — Sunday and observed state holidays. Language assistance is available.
