Facts About Radon

• Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.

• Radon is the number 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

• Radon can be found all over the U.S. in any type of building.

• Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems.

• Elevated radon levels are easily fixed.

• The EPA action level is 4.0 pCi/L.

• The EPA also recommends that homes between 2.0 pCi/L and 4.0 pCi/L be considered for mitigation.

• New homes can be built with radon-resistant features.

• Elevated radon levels are found in homes with basements, on slab, full crawlspaces, older homes, and newly constructed homes.

• Radon levels can vary by the hour, seasons, weather conditions, climate, and ventilation.

• Metro Atlanta is a Zone 1 (red zone) on the EPA Map of Radon Zones.

• Radon was the fifth radioactive element to be discovered, after uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium.

• Hundreds of years ago, a wasting disease of miners was known as mala metallorum. In 1879, the condition was identified as lung cancer caused by exposure to radioactive substances, including uranium and radon.

• The average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L.

• If someone smokes and their home has high radon levels, their risk of lung cancer is especially high.

• Radon enters a home through: cracks in solid floors, construction joints, cracks in walls, gaps in suspended floors, gaps around service pipes, and cavities inside walls.

• Radioactive material in building materials may add to indoor radon levels. Materials such as sandstone, concrete, brick, natural stone, and granite contain naturally-occurring elements like radium, uranium, and thorium.

 

For more information, please refer to the many publications available at www.epa.gov/radon.