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ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
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FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities
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MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD
MOLD INFORMATION CENTER
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DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP
ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
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ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS
FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO
HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
  Health Effects of Air Pollutants
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  Quick Guide to Gases
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  Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants
  Radon Hazards
    Health Effects of Radon
    Guide to Measuring Radon
    Effects of Radon on Home Sales
    How to Remove Indoor Radon
    Radon Hazard in Underground Homes
  Formaldehyde Hazards
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  Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs
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  Lead Exposure Hazards
  Asbestos Exposure Hazards
  Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
  Combustion Appliance Contaminants
  Backdrafting Appliances
  Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants
  INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
  INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD AGE - Old is the Mold?
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MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD
MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
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Radon test kit from RTCA (C) Daniel FriedmanRadon Measurement Guide for Homeowners & Home Inspectors
InspectAPedia®  -    

  • Advice for making accurate measurements of indoor radon levels in buildings
  • Where to buy radon test kits & how to use a radon test kit
  • Health effects of exposure to radon gas in homes - a consumer summary
  • Table of lung cancer risk from radon exposure in air or water
  • An easy guide to Radon Remediation in Homes
  • Best methods for cleaning & filtering indoor air
Our site offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/appointment.htm.

Here we discuss procedures for measuring the indoor exposure to radon gas in air or water, and we describe the proper steps to remove radon and improve indoor air quality in homes. This article includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

See Radon Hazards for details about radon in buildings, its health effects, how to measure radon, the effect of radon contamination on real estate values and home sales, and a guide on how to remove radon from buildings. Also see ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Guide to Measuring Radon - Sources of Home Test Kits for Radon & Radon Action Level Definition

As reported in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:

While some regions of the country have more homes with elevated radon levels, high indoor levels can occur anywhere. For that reason, the EPA recommends that all homes be tested. Although soil testing is possible prior to building, there is currently no reliable way to predict what household levels will be until a home is completed.

Testing indoor levels is straightforward, using inexpensive test kits available from hardware stores or by mail order.

Select a radon test kit that is nationally or state-certified. Our photo (page top) shows an economical radon test kit available from RTCA - the Radon Testing Corporation of America. Home test kits for radon typically cost $20. for one test canister.

The “action level” established by the EPA for remediation in homes is 4 pCi/L, although it recommends that people consider taking action at 2 pCi/L or above—since no exposure level is without risk. The average indoor level in the U.S. is 1.3 pCi/L, while outdoor levels average 0.4 pCi/L.

Radon Testing Methods & Procedure

Radon tests should be conducted away from drafts, high heat, and high humidity in a regularly used room on the lowest level in the home that is used as living space, or in radon-testing lingo: test the lowest habitable space. So if your home has a full-height ceiling basement that is presently un-finished but that could be made into living space, it's reasonable to perform the test there.

Short-term radon tests last for 2 to 90 days, and long-term tests run for up to a year. Place the radon test canister 2-3 feet above the floor on a chair, box, or table, in a house that has been closed for at least 24 hours before starting the test and that will be kept closed for the duration of the test period.

Place the radon test canister close to the center of the room, not by a window, door, or masonry such as a brick fireplace that can cause abnormal readings (some bricks contain and emit radon).

Do not place the radon test kit in a dead-air space, and do not place the canister where the building's HVAC system will blow on or across it.

Because radon levels vary daily and seasonally, longer test periods are better indicators of the average level. However, if two short-term tests yield an average result greater than 4 pCi/L, the EPA recommends taking steps to lower the level to 2 pCi/L or lower.

Since 1985, millions of homes have been tested for radon, and an estimated 800,000 homes have been mitigated.

-- adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

Detailed Articles about Radon: detection, correction, & prevention in buildings

Radon Hazards
  Health Effects of Radon
  Guide to Measuring Radon
  Effects of Radon on Home Sales
  How to Remove Indoor Radon

See Radon Enviro-Scare for a full discussion of the normal cycle of public fear that accompanies the discovery and publicity of various environmental hazards, including radon gas and see Enviro-Scare, the Cycle of Public Fear for our article about consumer environmental safety worry cycles that change over time.

For a Thorough Background in Radon Hazards, Radon Mitigation, & the History of Radon Concerns in the U.S. also see these articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

US EPA Radon Zone Map

  • "Defeating Radon" part 1- Terry Brennan, Bill Turner, Solar Age Magazine - How does radon get into buildings, how do I know if a building has a radon gas problem, how can I solve radon problems in existing homes, and what can I do to prevent radon from entering new homes. Part 1: where Radon comes from, how to diagnose radon
  • "Defeating Radon" part 2- Guide to keeping radon out of new houses - design details
  • "Defeating Radon" part 3- Key spots to seal, to stop radon gas leaks into buildings
  • "Defeating Radon" part 4- Data on radon levels in buildings before & after radon mitigation treatment
  • "Defeating Radon" part 5- Air filtering, testing after radon mitigation, where to buy radon tests

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Technical Reviewers & References

  • Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia® Website
  • Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
  • InspectAPedia Bookstore lists recommended books, organized by topic & available for purchase. Most of our articles also include a list of recommended books for the specific article topic as well as other references, and information sources.
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  • Additional technical contributors & reference sources for this article are listed below.

Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING
ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE
ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY
FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
  Health Effects of Air Pollutants
  Common Indoor Air Pollutants
  Key Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality
  Whole House Ventilation Strategies
  Exhaust-Only Ventilation
  Supply-Only Ventilation
  Balanced Ventilation
  Air Filtering Strategies
  Particles in Indoor Air - Chart
  Quick Guide to Gases
  Air-Cleaner Types
  Air Filter Effectiveness
  Real-World Effectiveness of Air Cleaners
  Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants
  Radon Hazards
    Health Effects of Radon
    Guide to Measuring Radon
    Effects of Radon on Home Sales
    How to Remove Indoor Radon
    Radon Hazard in Underground Homes
  Formaldehyde Hazards
  Biological Pollutants
  Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs
  Pesticide Exposure Hazards
  Lead Exposure Hazards
  Asbestos Exposure Hazards
  Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
  Combustion Appliance Contaminants
  Backdrafting Appliances
  Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants
  INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
  INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure
RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
STAIN DIAGNOSIS
TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

  • Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
  • Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Wiley.com and also at Amazon.com. See our book review of this publication.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE

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09/16/2009 - 04/27/2009 - InspectAPedia.com/BestPractices/Radon_Measure_Guide.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark