Test for radon with our step-by-step guide

How to get started with radon testing

Testing for radon is the only way to know with any certainty whether indoor air contains high levels of this dangerous radioactive gas. Radon is a the second-leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. It's odorless, colorless and tasteless, and the only way to know if it's present in your home is to test for it. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends that every home, school and business be tested for radon. 

There are various ways to test for radon, ranging from short-term tests that provide a one-off reading of your radon levels, to professional testing. Digital, hand-held monitors are also a great way to test for radon. Once in place they monitor continuously meaning you can track your home's radon levels throughout the year and gain a better understanding of your home's long-term average radon level. This is important when deciding if you need to take steps to mitigate.

What are the advantages of digital radon detectors vs more traditional testing?

Charcoal test kits and professional testing sessions are single-use. Buy the kit or pay the team, and you get your results in 2 to 90 days. Long-term tests prove more accurate. Charcoal test kits are designed to test only in the spot where they are placed during testing, and professional testing is done only where directed.

Digital radon monitors are reusable, over and over again, with a lifespan of about 10 years. Some digital test units require a power cord for use. Others run on batteries. Digital test kits usually keep a record of test results, from any site, from any date, that can be used for reference at the touch of a button. Most units can be set to display test results for 1-day, 7-day, or long-term testing and some, such as the Airthings Corentium Home 2, View Plus, View Radon, and Wave Plus, connect to an app to provide in-depth analysis of radon data, helping you to spot trends and see when radon levels change. 

A digital radon test is as easy as 1-2-3

Step 1:

Once you have chosen a digital testing unit, you’ll need to power it up and set it in the right location. For the Airthings Corentium Home 2, simply pull the battery tab to power it on then download the Airthings app to connect via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for 24/7 data access.

Step 2: 

Place Corentium Home 2 in the room you spend the most time in, but note that basements and lower floors tend to have higher levels than upper floors. Place the unit at breathing height. Placement should avoid direct sunlight and high humidity and should be at least 50 cm above the floor, 25 cm from the nearest wall, and 150 cm from any doors, windows, or ventilation. 

Step 3: 

Corentium Home 2 will start measuring radon immediately, but needs about 24 hours for the first readings and up to 30 days for accurate long-term averages, displaying temp/humidity and radon levels on screen and in the app. Performing a 7-day test in each room and then retesting for 30 days in the room with the highest level gives a thorough picture of radon exposure. Testing is most accurate in the winter months, when doors and windows are closed, so try not to ventilate rooms any more than normal during testing.

Reading radon levels: what the results mean

The World Health Organization has set an action level at 100 Bq/m3, above which remediation to lower Radon levels should take place. Countries around the world that use the metric system have adopted the same system, measuring in Becquerels per cubic meter, but may have differing action levels. England specifies 400 Bq/m3for workplaces, 200 for dwellings, and Italy is at 500 Bq/m3 for workplaces, and in agreement with WHO for dwellings, but both are currently under revision. Germany suggests a voluntary action level at 100 Bq/m3 for dwellings.

In the United States, the EPA sets an action level of 4 pCi/L. With one pCi/L, or picocurie per liter, equal to thirty-seven Bq/m3, the USEPA action level proves more lenient than that specified by WHO.

Mitigation to alleviate high Radon test levels can be as easy and inexpensive as installing a fan, a vent pipe, or simply sealing openings, cracks, or holes in the foundation of the structure. Occasionally, the fix is more complex. Many locations have put Radon mitigation into the building codes, making the fix much easier or, in many cases, preventing the need for it.

The good news here is that this is a test you don’t need to study for. The even better news is it is a test you cannot fail. The digital units do the calculations for you, warning you of dangers that may be lurking in indoor environments. And the final good news? This is a test that lets you know when everything is OK. Phew. Now, that’s a relief.

Do you have a problem? Click here for our top five tips to reduce radon. 

Sources

•  “How Do You Test for Radon?” Marshall Brain and Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D. How Stuff Works, 2009. http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/household-safety/tips/radon.htm
• “Field evaluations of digital radon detectors.” Chen J, Falcomer R, Walker B. Health Phys, 2007 Nov;93(5Suppl): S184-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18049248
• A Comparison of Winter Short-term and Annual Average Radon Measurements in Basements of a Radon-Prone Region and Evaluation of Further Radon Testing Indicators.” Nirmialla G. Barros, Daniel J. Steck, and R. William Field, Healthy Phys, 2014 May; 106(5): 535-44. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4006371/
• “Radon Exposure Management.” European ALARA Network, 2010. http://www.eu-alara.net/index.php/surveys-mainmenu-53/36-ean-surveys/231-radon.html