Radon Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless radioactive gas that seeps out of the soil and rocks in many parts of the country, including the Northeast. If the house is located over high radon soil or rock, unacceptable levels of radon many build up in the house. High enough exposure to radon for long enough periods of time has been linked to certain types of cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set standards for radon testing. Because radon levels vary from day to day and even hour to hour, test results do not provide a hard number and are for screening only, falling into high, low and borderline categories.
Most home inspectors can administer a radon test for the prospective buyer.
The sub-slab suction method is the most popular. This involves using a fan to ventilate soil gas away from the foundation by means of individual pipes which are inserted into the area under the concrete slab. Ms. Filley finds that home owners sometimes balk at assuming the expense for radon mitigation simply because they may have lived in the home for many years and have suffered no ill effects. But after losing a sale or two because they won't address the problem, they usually realize that times have changed and that these test results really do affect the value of their home. The presence of lead in a home usually originates in paint that dates from before 1978, the year the U.S. government banned the sale of lead paint in this country.