Question: Should I be concerned about radon?

Answer:

The Environmental Protection Agency states that, "the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high."

However, EPA also recognizes that "some scientists dispute the precise number of deaths due to radon" but argues that, "radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year. This is especially true among smokers, since the risk to smokers is much greater than to non-smokers."

In addition to arguments over the number of radon-related deaths, there is also debate concerning the level of radon which may be harmful.

EPA favors corrective action when radon levels exceed 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air (4pCi/L), the level of concern in the UK is 5 picocuries, Germany is at 6 picocuries, and Canada uses a standard of 20 picocuries.

If high levels of radon are found and mitigation is required, owners should look for a contractor not affiliated with the testing company.

Short-term tests with charcoal canisters conducted by EPA in the early 1990s showed high levels of false positives, results which could result in unnecessary mitigation costs.

However, in recent years new testing concepts have been introduced.

According to Dr. Daniel Perlman of Brandeis University, the "liquid scintillation technique is inherently 2.5 times more effective than the almost universally used gamma ray techniques for measuring the radon in charcoal." Dr. Perlman -- who has received a patent for a radon detection system -- also states that when counting alpha and beta particles with liquid scintillation, the liquid scintillation approach is "at least 25 and generally almost 100 times more effective than gamma ray measurements."

One firm, PRO-LAB of Pembroke Pines, FL, offers a patented liquid scintillation test kit that uses a desiccant within its detector to remove moisture. This is significant, says the company, since humidity problems can compromise the accuracy of test results.

An excellent book on the subject, "Element of Risk: The Politics of Radon" by Leonard Cole (ISBN #0-19-509367-4), discusses many issues regarding radon testing, politics, and policies.