Guessing about radon swap to Radon test kit

Why make the swap

• Why switch to radon test kit

  Testing is the only way to know your level. A short-term kit is the cheapest first step; a digital detector keeps checking with no lab fees.

• What's the concern with guessing about radon

  Radon is a natural radioactive gas you can’t see or smell. EPA estimates it causes about 21,000 lung-cancer deaths a year.

• General information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor, especially if you’re pregnant, nursing or have a health condition.

• Good to know before you buy

  EPA recommends testing every home below the third floor. Free test kits are sometimes available from local or county health departments or state radon programs. Reads 4 pCi/L or more? EPA says to confirm with a follow-up test, then fix it (and consider fixing from 2 to 4). Before paying for mitigation, confirm with a qualified radon tester, and use a qualified or state-certified mitigator (in New Jersey, NJDEP-certified).

  First Alert RD1 radon gas test kit, lab fee included: A 2–4 day test you mail to a lab. The lab fee is included, except New Jersey's state fee.

• Sources (6)

  1. EPA: #2 cause of lung cancer, about 21,000 deaths a year (opens in a new tab)
  2. EPA: nearly 1 in 15 US homes has high radon (opens in a new tab)
  3. EPA: fix your home at 4 pCi/L or more (opens in a new tab)
  4. EPA, A Citizen's Guide to Radon: take a follow-up test at 4 pCi/L or more; use qualified or state-certified contractors (opens in a new tab)
  5. NJDEP: radon testers and mitigators in New Jersey must be state-certified (opens in a new tab)
  6. EPA: free test kits are sometimes available from local or county health departments or state radon programs (opens in a new tab)

  Health and safety facts on this page come from these sources. What a pick is made of comes from its maker's listing or website, as stated on the date we checked.