It usually escapes into the air and is diluted enough to be harmless. But when it seeps into homes through basements or crawl spaces, it can become trapped and accumulate to dangerous levels. As radon breaks down, it emits alpha particles. When inhaled, the particles can settle in the lungs and damage tissue. The most popular kind of test kit to measure radon is the activated charcoal detector, Wessel says.
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Just open the canister and after a few days, send it to a lab for analysis. If you find that your home has high radon levels, don't panic, Wessel says. Radon problems are fixable. Simple things like sealing cracks and holes in basement walls can reduce radon levels. Other, more specialized techniques can alleviate more significant problems.