| Radon has been all over the news as of late. | | | | Testing for Radon in your home is relatively |
| While many people have heard about it, very | | | | simple and inexpensive. A number of |
| few actually know what it is. Where does it | | | | companies have developed detection systems, |
| come from? What makes it so dangerous? How | | | | similar in many ways to traditional smoke |
| can one detect it? Let's start with the | | | | detectors. Another option is to have your |
| basics, shall we? | | | | home tested by a certified Radon detection |
| | | | technician. The website for the EPA has |
| Radon is a highly toxic, odorless, colorless | | | | extensive listings of qualified technicians |
| gas. It is a naturally occurring substance | | | | throughout the United States. |
| derived from the decay of uranium, normally | | | | |
| found in earth and rock beneath your home. | | | | If dangerous levels of Radon are detected in |
| It has also been discovered in well water, | | | | your home or business, immediate action must |
| and in certain building materials. | | | | be taken. Radon levels can be reduced |
| | | | through a process called mitigation, which |
| In recent times, Radon has been definitively | | | | can include a number of different techniques. |
| linked with lung cancer. According to the | | | | Soil suction is one such method. It works |
| EPA, Radon is a radioactive gas that has been | | | | by suctioning radon from beneath your home, |
| identified as a leading cause of lung cancer, | | | | and venting it through pipes to the outside. |
| second only to cigarette smoking in the | | | | Another method that is frequently used is |
| United States. The EPA estimates that Radon | | | | called house pressurization. It works by |
| is responsible for over 20,000 deaths | | | | using fans to create air pressure |
| annually. | | | | differences, and thus deters radon from |
| | | | entering your home. |