Radon

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What is Radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that is found in the earth’s rock below the soil. It is formed by the natural breakdown of radium. Radon gas is invisible and odorless. It is a health hazard when it accumulates to high levels (4 pCi/l or greater) inside homes or other structures. A high level of indoor radon exposure is estimated to cause between 15,000 and 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. This accounts for 12 percent of all cancer deaths and is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the United States.

The only way to determine if radon gas is a problem in your home or building is by measuring the level of radon gas present.

Guilford County Department of Health & Human Services, Public Health Division periodically has free radon test kits. To inquire if we have any test kits please call the Public Health Division at (336) 641-3771.

For more information on radon in NC, visit www.NCRadon.org or www.epa.gov/radon

Expand/Contract Questions and Answers

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER RADON IS A PROBLEM IN YOUR HOME OR BUILDING?
While an area’s geology may be an indication for the presence of a radon gas problem, remember that radon gas is odorless and colorless; therefore, it cannot be detected by the human senses.
HOW DOES RADON GET INDOORS?
Radium, which releases radon gas, is a common element within the earth’s crust. Soils and rocks containing high levels of uranium, such as granite, phosphate, shale and pitchblende, are natural sources of radon.

High levels of radon gases in the soil percolate up through porous soils under the home, school or workplace and enter through gaps and cracks in the foundation or in the insulation and through pipes, sumps, drains, walls or other openings.

Groundwater is another possible pathway for bringing radon into the home. Water, when in contact with rock containing uranium, absorbs the radon gas. The radon is then carried into the home and released into the air in household dishwashers, faucets, showers or washing machines.
HOW SERIOUS A PROBLEM IS RADON IN THE UNITED STATES?
Elevated radon levels have been identified in every state. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, nearly one out of 15 homes in the United States has an elevated indoor radon level (4 pCi/l) on a yearly average. The United States average radon-to-air level in a single-family home is 1.3 pCi/l. Radon can also be a problem in schools and work places.

What is Radon?

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHETHER RADON IS A PROBLEM IN YOUR HOME OR BUILDING?

HOW DOES RADON GET INDOORS?

HOW SERIOUS A PROBLEM IS RADON IN THE UNITED STATES?