How a home radon test could prevent lung cancer

Just about everyone knows smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.

But another major cause is radon — an invisible, odorless gas — and it could be in the ground beneath your house.

For nonsmokers, radon is the most common cause of lung cancer, and for smokers, the combination of cigarettes and radon is particularly lethal.

Where radon comes from

Radon is a byproduct of the natural breakdown of uranium, a common element in rocks.

“Because radon comes from the soil, it will generally be highest in the lowest level of the house,” explains geologist Dan Deocampo at Georgia State University. “Whether that’s a basement or a crawl space or the first floor of the house. As you move up in a house, the amount of radon usually goes down.”

The cancer risks of radon

“We don’t know how long after you’ve been exposed to radon gas you can develop lung cancer,” says Dr. Saeid Khansarinia of Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. “Some studies say anywhere from five to 25 years after exposure to radon gas, you can develop lung cancer.”

Some states don’t require homeowners to test for radon but Deocampo and Khansarinia agree everyone should test every residence they plan to live in.

So why aren’t the risks of radon more widely known?

“I can’t tell you why it’s not better known, but as you know with smoking, it’s taken us years to make the world accept and understand what a high risk tobacco use is,” says Khansarinia.

He says he hopes that with a growing understanding of radon and its effects on people’s lungs, there will eventually be a national requirement to test all homes and workplaces, rather than leaving it up to the individual states.

‘All those families over the years were exposed to high levels of radon’

As a geologist, Deocampo says he knew the risks of radon exposure, and when he moved to Georgia, he had his new home tested.

“And so we did that, and found very high levels of radon in the basement, and so we had to mitigate that by installing some pretty simple hardware that prevents the soil gas from entering into the basement.

“We’re probably the fourth or fifth-generation family to live in that house, so all of those families over the years were exposed to high levels of radon,” says Deocampo.

Radon tests as part of a home inspection

“It’s important … really everywhere in the country to test for radon before you move into the house,” says Deocampo.

And as a buyer, you’re in the driver’s seat. It’s far easier to make the current owner take care of the situation than having to foot the bill for mitigation yourself later.

But you’ll still want to test your house again, periodically.

“It should be done every few years because things change: The houses settle, cracks appear,” Deocampo advises.

The radon gas can escape through those cracks and waft into your house.

A simple fix

“If you have a furnace in your house that doesn’t work, it’s just uncomfortable. If you have a radon system that’s not working correctly — or don’t have a radon system at all — it can be deadly,” says Mitchell Stein of Georgia Radon Solutions. “The fixes are very easy.”

A typical solution involves the installation of a pipe system and a fan that pulls the radon from under the house and then vents it outside.

“Each system is designed for each individual house. Some houses have a crawl space, which is a little different than a basement or a slab on grade. But every house is easy enough to mitigate when it’s designed for that house,” he says.

New houses have more radon problems

It might seem counterintuitive, but the newer your house — and the more energy-efficient it is — the more chance there is of a radon problem.

“New houses have a tighter building envelope, meaning that we have tighter windows, tighter doors, and specialty insulation. As we learn to tighten up our houses and make them very energy-efficient, we also make ‘Sick House Syndrome,'” Stein says.

“Sick House Syndrome” occurs when your house doesn’t have outside air to draw in, so the only air circulating inside is from building materials and soil gases under the house.

Costs of radon mitigation vary, but it averages about $1,200 per house — or anywhere between $800 to $1,500.

Renters should ask for a test, too

“A lot of places where people live, they believe that the owner of the house or the owner of the apartment complex has taken care of it,” says Deocampo.

But that might not be the case. If the landlord is not required by law to test, he or she may not have done it.

Basement apartments are particularly prone to high radon levels.

If the landlord’s not paying for it, and hiring a radon inspector doesn’t fit your budget, inexpensive testing kits are available at hardware stores and cost about $20.

If that test suggests a problem, you can assess what to do next.

Different states have different rules

Almost everyone gets a home inspection before buying a new house. But many states don’t require a radon check to be part of that inspection, and some require the buyer to spend the money themselves to pay for a test.

Khansarinia says it’s a no-brainer: “Just like we do termite testing, I think this is far more important than having termite testing.

I think that every time you buy a house, that house should be tested. It’s a minimal amount of money to put down for preventative health. It’s a simple thing and it can save lives. Even if it saves one life … I think it’s well worth it,” he says.

Check your state’s rules here:

https://www.ncsl.org/research/environment-and-natural-resources/radon.aspx