Radon

Welcome to the Western Wisconsin Radon Information Center (RIC). The RIC is an organization supporting local health departments for Dunn, St. Croix, Pepin, Pierce, Barron and Sawyer counties.

Radon test kits are available from each of the above local Health Departments.

In Dunn County, both short-term and long-term test kits are $25 with no additional fees for analysis. 

 

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.

You can not see radon.  And you can not smell it or taste it.  But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year.  That’s because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.  If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Radon can be found all over the U.S.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in the soil, rocks and water and gets into the air you breathe. It can get into any type of building – homes, offices, and schools – and result in a high indoor radon level.  But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

You should test for radon.

Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon.  EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. EPA also recommends testing in schools. Testing is inexpensive and easy – it should only take a few minutes of your time.


There are two general ways to test for radon. 

  • Short-term testing:  The quickest way to test is with short-term tests.  Short-term tests remain in your home for two days to 90 days, depending on the device. “Charcoal canisters,” “alpha track,” “electret ion chamber,” “continuous monitors,” and “liquid scintillation” detectors are most commonly used for short-term testing. Because radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell your average year-round radon level. If you want quick results, you should use a short-term test.  However, a short-term test followed by a second short-term rest may be used to decide whether to fix your home.
  • Long-term testing: Long-term tests remain in the home for more than 90 days. “Alpha track” and “electret” detectors are commonly used for this type of testing. A long-term test will give you a reading that is more likely to tell you your home’s year-round average radon level than a short-term test.
  • Testing for Radon

 

Radon and home sales

More and more home buyers and renters are asking about radon levels before they buy or rent a home. Because real estate sales happen quickly, there is often little time to deal with radon and other issues.  The best thing to do is to test for radon NOW and save the results in case the buyer is interested in them.  Fix a problem if it exists so it won’t complicate your home sale.  If you are planning to move, the EPA has a pamphlet, “Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon,” which addresses some common questions.



What your test results mean

The amount of radon in the air is measured in “picocuries per liter of air,” or “pCi/L.”

The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L.  The average outdoor radon level is about 0.4 pCi/L. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels. While this goal is not yet technologically achievable in all cases, most homes today can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below.

Because any radon level carries some risk, even if your test results are below 4 pCi/L, you may want to try to lower the radon level with a mitigation system (radon reduction system) or you may want to re-test your home.

If your test results are 4 pCi/L or higher, you will want to explore a method that reduces radon in your home. The most commonly used method is a vent pipe and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside. This system, known as a soil depressurization radon reduction system, does not require major changes to your home. Sealing foundation cracks and other openings makes this kind of system more effective and cost-efficient. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. Other methods are available and the right system will depend on the design of your house and other factors.

Ways to reduce radon in your home are discussed in EPA’s “Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction.” (See EPA link below)  The cost of reducing radon in your home depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem.  Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs, ranging from $800 –$2,500. The cost is much less if Radon-Resistant Construction features were installed while your home was built.