Radon Indicates external links with no implied endorsement. Test Your Home For Radon Radon is a radioactive gas. The U. S. Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, responsible for thousands of lung cancer deaths per year. The only way to know if a home has high radon levels is to test for it. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.
Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium and radium that is found in nearly all soils.
It moves through the ground into the air around and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a high radon level. This means new and old homes, well sealed and drafty homes and homes with and without basements. In Region 2 elevated radon levels have been found in many areas in New York and New Jersey .