If you live in certain parts of the United States, or have been involved in a real estate transaction that included radon testing recently, you may be aware of the threat that radon (a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas) poses.

Most people however have never been told about Radon, and finding out that a radioactive gas is in thier homes comes as a shock to them. Virtually all homes contain radon and the countywide average concentrations in Northeast Illinois vary from 3.0 picocurries per liter of air (pCiL) to 6.3 pCiL.  These averages do not reflect any individual homes actual level however and Accurate Radon has fixed homes with initial levels as low as 1.8 and as high as 178.9pCi/l (the current radon level in this home is now 1.9pCi/l and the occupants are currently healthy) 

According to the World Health Organization, the United States EPA, and the Surgeon General all concentrations of Radon in homes pose a health threat.

If you inhale the gas into your lungs, its decay, conversion to a solid, and subsequent radioactive emissions can damage cells DNA. This damage can significantly increase your chance of getting lung cancer.

A study reported in 1990 by the National Safety Council estimated that about 14,000 deaths a year could be attributed to radon, and that the number could range from 7,000 to 30,000.

In 2006 the United States Surgon General issued a warning to the public that Radon Gas is the leading cause of lung cancer for non smokers.  Furthermore the Surgeon General indicates that approximately 20,000 Americans die annually as a result of breathing Radon Gas.

What is Radon?
Radon gas is a completely natural but Radioactive gas. It forms during the decay of uranium-238 into lead-210 over billions of years.  It is in all of the soil in Northern Illinois and much of it was deposited here by the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago.

Radon is in every home in some concentration. There is no established "safe" level.  It is up to every homeowner to decide for themselves if a radon reduction system is appropriate for thier home and family.  A properly installed system can effectively reduce radon levels by over 95% in almost every home.  Homes with radon reduction systems will almost always have lower radon levels than the other homes on the same street that "don't have a radon problem".  They will also generally have fewer basement odors, lower humidity levels, and consequently a reduced chance of mold/mildew occurences which can aggravate peoples allergies.

For more information on the decay sequence, and how uranium becomes radon,

refer to the science page