Radon is a natural radioactive gas produced from decaying uranium in the earth's crust. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed guidelines and placed limits on how much Radon gas humans can safely be exposed to.

Radon gases can enter a house several different ways: cracks in the foundation, through drain tiles, granite counter tops and fireplace fronts or in well water.  Radon will seep in your house anyway it can; in fact houses (even well built houses) act like a vacuum pulling radon up from the ground into your breathing space.  As the house heats up, or is ventilated through open doors and windows, movement of air shifts upwards causing air from the basement and surrounding areas to draw in and expose radon gas.

As radon decays, the atom explodes sending off alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays. The gamma rays and beta particles are harmless. However, the alpha particles damage living lung cells. Radon decay particles stick to lung tissue. Exposure to high concentrated levels of radon gas can cause lung cancer. As with most respiratory ailments, smokers are at a greater risk than non-smokers.

According to EPA statistics, too high levels of radon gas are present in one out of every seven houses. You can't see or smell radon and the only way to know if the levels in your house are medically significant is to test. What houses should be tested?  Every house.  Your neighbor may have elevated levels of radon gas present while you may not and vice versa. Additionally, a test of a house may show very low levels now but there are no guarantees that radon levels will stay that way. A house should be re-tested every 2 to 5 years and when remodeling has been done.

Of the many different methods of radon testing for a real estate sale, the best is a continuous monitor set for 48 hours as suggested by the EPA. This is the testing method used by ZINN Home Inspection Services.