Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water. Radon can get into homes and buildings through small cracks or holes and build up in the air.

When you breathe in radon gas, radioactive particles can get trapped in your lungs. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Radon is the leading environmental cause of any cancer.

The World Health Organization recommends that you consider radon remediation/radon mitigation if radon concentration in your home exceeds 2pCi/L. Anything under 1pCi/L is considered a safe level of radon in our opinion, and what we would like to see in our own home.

Long-term radon exposure symptoms can be life threatening. The risk of lung cancer increases by 16% for every 3pCi/L increase of radon concentration. Regular exposure for radon levels of 4pCi/L is equivalent to smoking 8 cigarettes a day, or 200 chest X-rays per year.

According to the most updated radon report card by The American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, in 2022 after 74,000+ tests, 47% of buildings in New York have radon levels over 2pCi/L. This is the level that the World Health Organization recommends that you consider radon remediation/radon mitigation!

Yes, Total Home Inspectors performs radon tests to help make you aware of the radon levels of your home. From there, we will make recommendations to you based on the results provided by laboratory testing, and whether action should be taken to reduce the radon levels in your home.

The NYS Department of Health recommends testing for radon during the buying/selling of a home, after doing major renovations, and every two to five years depending on previous radon level readings. Since we know radon can fluctuate, we recommend testing every year to keep radon levels in check. Radon can be hazardous to your home and health.