This article researches top 10 myths and facts about radon, from examining the claims of scientists who say radon is not dangerous to the question of whether short-term tests are enough to take action against radon.

1. Top 10 Myths and Facts About Radon
This article researches top 10 myths and facts about radon, from
examining the claims of scientists who say radon is not
dangerous to the question of whether short-term tests are enough
to take action against radon.

2. Myth 1: Radon isn’t dangerous

3. Fact: To understand this first out of many radon myths, it’s
important to first review some background. Namely, who is
saying radon isn’t a problem? Many people in the lay
community and even in the scientific community have claimed
that radon is not an issue to worry about. For instance, a
1995 study from an American scientist named Dr. Bernard
Cohen challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s
(EPA) findings about radon, claiming that the EPA’s results
had a fundamental flaw based on a misunderstanding of
radon dosage. He basically says that just because very high
levels of radon can lead to cancer, it is erroneous to think that
maeans low levels of radon pose a risk.

4. Myth 2: Radon tests are expensive and
take a long time

5. Myth 2: Radon tests are expensive and
take a long time
Fact: It is one of the common radon myths. A simple preliminary
radon test is not at all expensive. You can buy short-term radon
test kits for as little as $15 (National Radon Program Services).
The cheaper short-term tests are going to be less accurate than
others, but they will at least give you a rough idea of radon levels
in your home. And they tend to take around 2–7 days, which
means they are not time consuming. What’s more, once the radon
test is underway you need only to wait. In this sense, they’re not
overly complex to conduct.

6. Myth 3: You can’t solve radon problems in
all homes

7. Myth 3: You can’t solve radon problems
in all homes
Fact: First of all it should be noted that only 6% of homes have
radon levels that need to be resolved through a form of mitigation
(National Radon Program Services). Secondly, homes can be
fixed through a number of different means, from a homeowner
caulking foundation faults in their basement to the installation of a
radon mitigation system in your home. The National Radon
Program Services note that “virtually any home can be fixed,”
citing the above methods as the most common solutions.

8. Myth 4: Only some types of home need to
worry about radon

9. Myth 4: Only some types of home need to
worry about radon
Fact: Radon is not attracted to ranches more than victorian style
homes. This might seem facetious, but it is essentially the
argument people make when they say specific home types need
to worry about radon and others don’t. The fact of the matter is
radon comes up from the ground, and it depends on variable
factors like “soil and atmospheric conditions” (University of
Minnesota), among other factors such as construction materials
and structural soundness. In short, no home is more or less
susceptible because of its “type.”

10. Myth 5: You only need to worry about radon if
you live in certain areas of the country

11. Myth 5: You only need to worry about radon if
you live in certain areas of the country
Fact: Some blogs claim that if you live in certain parts of the country
you should be more concerned with radon than if you live in other
parts of the country. While it’s true that there are regions with more and
less radon, the idea that you don’t need to worry about radon just
because you live in a region that tends to have low radon levels is
unfounded. Radon levels are very local, and depend on soil
composition, atmospheric conditions, home construction, etc.
(University of Minnesota). Thus, it would be foolish not to be
concerned about radon for the sole reason that the region in which you
live tends to have low radon levels.

12. Myth 6: Radon tests from a neighbor’s house are
accurate indications of radon in your own home

13. Myth 6: Radon tests from a neighbor’s house are
accurate indications of radon in your own home
Fact: A common one in all the radon myths. Unfortunately, it’s not
true. A study from the National Institute of Health showed that soil
composition and ground permeability are key factors affecting radon
in your home, and they are factors that are specific to your plot of
land (NIH). And while the argument could be made that your
neighbor’s house is built in the same soil and close enough to your
own house to know that the ground permeability is relatively
constant, differences in home construction between your home and
theirs could alone account for different readings of radon. A resource
called Radon Awareness cites cracks in a foundation as enough to
allow significant levels of radon into your home. This fact renders the
neighbor test idea moot.

14. Myth 7: All homeowners should conduct
water radon tests

15. Myth 7: All homeowners should conduct
water radon tests
Fact: Radon testing is important, but water radon tests should
be conducted after air radon tests. For one, many homes
receive their water from a public water infrastructure, which
should test and report radon levels. If you get your water from a
personal well, a water radon test might be advisable, but a test
of radon in the air would be an easier first test to conduct. This
air test would tell you if radon is present, and airborne radon
tends to be more dangerous than waterborne radon.

16. Myth 8: Selling a home that has a history
of radon is difficult

17. Myth 8: Selling a home that has a history
of radon is difficult
Fact: Unaddressed radon problems are obviously not attractive to
homebuyers. But if measures have been taken to fix radon levels,
and they have been shown to work, this can actually increase home
value. Many real estate agent claim a resolved radon issue through
a permanent structural fix or a radon mitigation system have a
neutral effect or else a positive effect on your ability to sell a home.
Radon myths like these are unfortunate as they can lead to
inaction.

18. Myth 9: Having lived in my house for many years it
wouldn’t matter if I took action against radon now

19. Myth 9: Having lived in my house for many years it
wouldn’t matter if I took action against radon now
Fact: This is probably the least fortunate of all the radon myths.
As the National Cancer Institute notes, “Long-term exposure to
radon can lead to lung cancer.” It is long term exposure that
matters, so it’s never really too late to check your home for radon.
At the very least, you might find out you do have high radon
levels, allowing you to take action to protect your home.

20. Myth 10: Short-term tests aren’t enough to make a decision
about taking action to fix radon in your home

21. Myth 10: Short-term tests aren’t enough to make a decision
about taking action to fix radon in your home
Fact: This last of of many myths is still a common one. The fact is
that short-term tests can be enough, provided you use more than
one. Radon.com notes that two radon tests could be enough to take
action provided that at least one of the tests is above the
recommended 4.0 pCi/L. This would indicate that levels at least
some of the time are above recommended level, and therefore that
you might want to take action. Note that if you conduct two radon
tests and neither is above 4.0 pCi/L that does not mean you are safe
from radon. To conclusively know if you are safe from radon you
must consistently monitor radon level. That said, short term tests
can lead to radon mitigation action if they conclusively show radon
levels are too high.