A variety of methods can be used for detecting radon. The two most popular for the home owner are the carbon canister and the track etch. These devices are placed in either the basement or living area for a specific length of time and then returned for analysis to wherever they were purchased. It should be remembered that measurements can vary with location in the home as well as with the season. Ideally several readings should be taken at different times.
Readings taken in the basement during the winter are usually the highest.
The risk of radon in homes has presumably been with us since man first built permanent structures, but did not become a concern until the advent of energy efficient homes and the concern about indoor air pollution. Scientists do not know with certainty how great the radon exposure in homes must be before it becomes an unacceptable health risk. Studies in this respect are difficult to make because the exposure must be over long periods of time, people do not generally live a lifetime in any one place and living habits such as smoking can have great influence on the development of lung cancer. The Environmental Protection Agency, based on studies of uranium miners, suggests that homes ideally should not exceed concentrations of 4 picocuries per liter. Current studies suggest this may be overly conservative.