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