Indoor Air
Radon Laboratory - Free Testing!
In October 2000, the Department began analyzing radon test kits using electret-ion chambers from
Rad-Elec, Inc.
The equipment is purchased using funds received from the State Indoor Radon Grant (SIRG) from the Minnesota Department of Health and the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
Radon testing services with the lab are FREE! If you would like a test, contact the Department at 651-430-6655 to get your name on the waiting list. We ask that you pick up the reusable kit from the Department, conduct the test, and then drop the kit off at the Department. Test results will be mailed within 7-10 days. Contact Chris LeClair at 651-430-6673 for more information. Data collected by Washington County as a result of this test is public information and may be disseminated by the County upon request from any interested party.
What is radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas found in the air. It is colorless, tasteless, and chemically inert. Unless you test for it, there is no way of knowing how much is present. Radon is formed from natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Naturally existing levels of uranium occur widely in Earth's crust. It can be found in all 50 states. Once produced, radon undergoes radioactive decay, it emits ionizing radiation. It also produces short-lived decay products, some of which are also radioactive.
What health effects are associated with radon exposure?
The Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only smoking causes more cases of lung cancer. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years. Breathing radon does not cause any short-term health effects such as shortness of breaths, coughing, headaches or fever.
What is the "acceptable" level of radon in the air?
EPA states that any radon exposure carries some risk; no level of radon exposure is always safe. However, EPA recommends homes be fixed if an occupant's long-term exposure will average 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
How often is indoor radon a problem?
Nearly one out of every 15 homes has a radon level EPA considers to be elevated - 4 pCi/L or greater. The U.S. average radon-in-air level in single family homes is 1.3 pCi/L. Because most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor exposure to radon is an important concern.
How does radon get into a building?
Most radon enters a building from the soil or rock beneath it. Radon and other gases rise through the soil and get trapped under the building. The trapped gases build up pressure. Air pressure inside homes is usually lower than the pressure in the soil. Therefore, the higher pressure under the building forces gases through cracks and opening in floors and walls into the building.
Should I have my home tested for radon?
All homes should be tested for radon and high radon levels reduced. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Therefore, the EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing for radon in all homes. Testing is the only way to know whether or not your home has a radon problem.
Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:
- How much radon is in your home
- The amount of time you spend in your home
- Whether your are a smoker or have ever smoked
Testing
Anyone can use a "do-it-yourself" test kit to check their building.
There are short-term and long-term test kits available. Short-term test kits should remain in the building from two to 90 days, depending on the device. Weather conditions and opening and closing of windows will affect radon levels within a building; therefore, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell you a year-round average radon level.
The EPA recommends that for homes, initial measurements be short-term tests placed in the lowest lived-in level. Short-term testing in closed building conditions helps residents quickly learn if a home has high levels of radon.
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