National Radon Action Month. The Surgeon General and EPA are urging all Americans to test home radon levels

Jan. 8, 2016 - PRLog -- Radon Action Month

January is Radon Action Month. During this month, homeowners are advised to take a moment and check that their homes are free from this deadly gas. While many people neglect or delay inspecting their houses, it's important for your family's health and safety to know the levels in the home and to take the right steps to reduce unsafe levels.

What is Radon?

Radon is chemical element number 86 on the periodic table. It's a naturally occurring noble gas, like argon or neon. This gas is actually radioactive. Any home can be infiltrated by the deadly gas, as it slowly seeps out of the soil beneath your home due to the breakdown of radium in the earth.

The gas is odorless, tasteless, and colorless, which makes it impossible to detect with human senses. Only specialized kits and detectors can alert you to the presence of this deadly gas in your home. Even worse, the gas can combine with dust particles in the air, which are easy to inhale. Scientists now believe that people who inhale radioactive dust particles are at a higher risk of being afflicted with lung cancer.

During Radon Action Month, all homeowners are advised to make sure that they and their loved ones are not in peril from this toxic threat. Breathing clean air is important, and National Radon Action Month helps homeowners be informed on how to keep homes a safe and healthy environment.

How to Protect Yourself

If you haven't tested your home for radon gas, Radon Action Month is a great time to buy testing devices. Go to 911Radon.com to order your test kit for $10.00; use promo code TST410. Starting in the basement or lower levels of your dwelling, activate the simple test, leave the undisturbed test in place for 3 days, and then mail it off to the corresponding laboratory.

Many home improvement stores now sell radon gas detectors, which function much like smoke detectors. Indeed, some models of smoke detectors now come with a radon detecting capability, giving you two different ways to protect yourself. National Radon Action Month helps keep you alert to the dangers of radon gas.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stated that safe residential levels are 3.9 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or less, while the World Health Organization states 2.7 pCi/L is the highest safe level of radon gas in a home.

It's important to understand that weather has an impact on measured gas levels, so be sure to test your home during the coolest part of the day. If multiple tests indicate a deadly build-up of the gas, it is possible to take steps to protect your home.

Radon Mitigation

Homeowners have options to decrease the radon levels in homes. The most successful way to reduce radon is sub-slab depressurization. This is done by venting the radon from under the home to the air outside, not allowing this deadly gas into the home. The gas in the home will break down into heavier elements in four days, and gas levels will return to a safe range shortly when no more gas is introduced inside the home.

Testing radon levels, reducing radon levels, and retesting every 2 years will keep your family safe from the dangers of radon gas. January is Radon Action Month; Test, Fix, Save a life.