Adobe Acrobat PDF file. EPA’s reassessment was based on the National Academy of. Sciences’ (NAS) report on the Health Effects of Exposure to Radon (BEIR VI,
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EPA 402/K -13/002 |Mar ch 2018 (revised) www.epa.gov/radon EPA RECOMMENDS: If you are buying or selling a home, have it tested for radon. For a new home, ask if radon -resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested. Fix the home if the radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk a nd, in many cases, may be reduced. Take steps to prevent device interference when conducting a radon test. EPA estimates that radon causes thousands of cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. *Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung canc er deaths per year, according to EPA™s 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402 -R-03 -003). The numbers of deaths from other causes are taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention™s 2005 -2006 National Center for Injury Prevention and Control Report and 2006 National Safety Council Reports. 30,000 deaths per year 10,000 RADON* Drunk Falls in Drownings Home Driving the Home Fires 20 21,000 17,400 8,000 3,900 2,800
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Table of Contents OVERVIEW .. 1 Why Should I Test for Radon? 3 a. Radon Has Been Found in Homes All Over the United States 3 b. EPA and the Surgeon General Recommend That You Test Your Home .. 4 2 I™m Selling a Home. What Should I Do? . 5 a. If Your Home Has Already Been Tested for Radon 5 b. If Your Home Has Not Yet Been Tested for Radon . 6 3 I™m Buying a Home. What Should I Do? 7 a. If the Home Has Already Been Tested for Radon 7 b. If the Home Has Not Yet Been Tested for Radon . 8 4 I™m Buying or Building a New Home. How Can I Protect My Family? . 9 a. Why Should I Buy a Radon -Resistant Home? .. 9 b. What Are Radon -Resistant Features? . 10 5 How Can I Get Reliable Radon Test Results? 11 a. Types of Radon Devices 11 b. General Information for All Devices . 12 c. Preventing or Detecting Test Interference 13 d. Length of Time to Test .. 14 e. Doing a Short -Term Test 15 f. Using Testing Devices Properly for Reliable Results . 16 g. Interpreting Radon Test Results 17 Radon and Smoking 18 Radon Testing Che cklist 20 6 What Should I Do If the Radon Level Is High? 22 a. High Radon Levels Can Be Reduced . 22 b. How to Lower the Radon Level in Your Home 22 c. Selecting a Radon -Reduct ion (Mitigation) Contractor . 24 d. What Can a Qualified Radon -Reduction Contractor Do for You .. 24 e. Radon i n Water . 25 7 Radon Myths and Facts 27 EPA 402/K -13/002 | March 2018 (revised) Home Buyer™s and Seller™s Guide to Radon
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | Mar ch 2018 (revised) Home Buyer™s and Seller™s Guide to Radon 11 Overview This Guide answers important questions about radon and lung cancer risk. It also answers questions about testing and fixing for anyone buying or selling a home. You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. You Should Test for Radon Testing is the only way to fin d out your home™s radon levels. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. You Can Fix a Radon Problem If you find that you have high radon levels, there are ways to fix a radon problem. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels. If You Are Selling a Home EPA recommends that you test your home before putting it on the market and, if necessary, lower your radon levels. Save the test results and all information you have about steps that were taken to fix any problems. This could be a positive selling point. EPA Risk Assessment for Radon in Indoor Air EPA has updated its estimate of the lung cancer risks from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Agency™s updated risk assessment, EPA Assessment of Ri sks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003, June 2003), is available at https://www.epa.gov/radiation/epa -assessment -risks -radon -homes as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF file. EPA™s reassessment was based on the National Academy of Sciences™ (NAS) report on the Health Effects of Exposure to Radon (BEIR VI, 1999). The Agency now estimates that there are about 21,000 annual radon -related lung cancer deaths, an estimate consistent with the NAS Report™s findings. 20 4 18
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | Mar ch 2018 (revised) 2 www.epa.gov/radon If You Are Buying a Home EPA recommends that you know what the indoor radon level is in any home you consider buying. Ask the seller for their radon test results. If the home has a ra don -reduction system, ask the seller for any information they have about the system. If the home has not yet been tested, you should have the house tested. If you are having a new home built, there are features that can be incorporated into your home during construction to reduce radon levels. The radon testing guidelines in this Guide have been developed specifically to deal with the time -sensitive nature of home purchases and sales, and the potential for radon device interference. These guidelines are slightly different from the guidelines in other EPA publications which provide radon testing and reduction information for non-real estate situations. This Guide recommends three short -term testing options for real estate transactions. EPA also recommend s testing a home in the lowest level that could be used regularly, since a buyer may choose to live in a lower area of the home than that used by the seller. 6 9 12 15
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | March 2018 (revised) 4 www.epa.gov/radon b. EPA and the Surgeon General Recommend that You Test Your Home Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local, and neighborhood radon measurements. Do not rely on radon test results taken in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level in your home. Homes which are next to each other can have different indoor radon levels. Testing is the only way to find out what your home™s radon level is. In som e areas, companies may offer different types of radon service agreements. Some agreements let you pay a one-time fee that covers both testing and radon mitigation, if needed. Contact your state radon office to find out if these are available in your state. U.S. SURGEON GENERAL HEALTH ADVISORY fiIndoor radon is the second -leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and breathing it over prolonged periods can present a significant health risk to families all over the country. It™s important to know that this threat is completely preventable. Radon can be detected with a simple test and fixed through well -established venting techniques.fl January 2005 34
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | March 2018 (revised) Home Buyer™s and Seller™s Guide to Radon 5 I™m Selling a Home. What Should I Do? a. If Your Home Has Already Been Tested for Radon If you are thinking of selling your home and you have already tested your home for radon, review the Radon Testing Checklist to make sure that the test was done correctly. If so, provide your test results to the buyer. No matter what kind of test was done, a potential buyer may ask for a new test, especially if: G The Radon Testing Checklist items were not met; G The last test is not recent, e.g., within two ye ars; G You have renovated or altered your home since you tested; or G The buyer plans to use a lower level of the house than was tested, such as a basement that could be used regularly by the buyer. A buyer may also ask for a new test if your state or lo cal government requires disclosure of radon information to buyers. 20 2.
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | March 2018 (revised) 6 www.epa.gov/radon b. If Your Home Has Not Yet Been Tested for Radon Have a test taken as soon as possible. If you can, test your home before putting it on the market. You should test in the lowest level of the home that could be used regularly. This means testing in the lowest level that you currently live in or a lower level not currently used, but which a buyer might use as a family room or play area, etc. The radon test result is important information about your home™s radon level. Some states require radon measurement testers to follow a specific testing protocol. If you do the test yourself, you should carefully follow the testing protocol for your area or EPA™s Radon Testing Checklist . If you hire a contractor 20 to test your residence, protect yourself by hiring a qualified* 34 individual or company. You can determine a service provider™s qualifications to perform radon measurements or to mitigate your home in several ways. Check with your state radon office . Many states require radon professionals to be licensed, certified, or registered. Most states can provide you with a list of knowledgeable radon service providers doing business in the state. In states that don™t regulate radon services, ask the c ontractor if they hold a professional proficiency or certification credential . Such programs usually provide members with a photo -ID card, which indicates their qualification(s) and its expiration date. If in doubt, you should check with their credentialin g organization. Alternatively, ask the contractor if they™ve successfully completed formal training appropriate for testing or mitigation, e.g., a course in radon measurement or radon mitigation. * You should first call your state radon office for informa tion on qualified radon service providers and state -specific radon measurement or mitigation requirements. For up -to-date information on state radon program offices, visit http://www.epa.gov/rado n/whereyoulive.html . EPA™s detailed and technical guidance on radon measurement and mitigation is included in Section 8 (p. 29); however, state requirements or guidance may be more stringent. Visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/radontest.html for links to private sector radon credentialing programs .
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EPA 402/K -13/002 | September 2013 (revised) Home Buyer™s and Seller™s Guide to Radon 7 I™m Buying a Home. What Should I Do? a. If the Home Has Already Been Tested for Radon If you are thinking of buying a home, you may decide to accept an earlier test result from the seller or ask the seller for a new test to be conducted by a qualified radon tester. Before you accept the seller™s test, you should determine: G The results of previous testing; G Who conducted the previous test: the home owner, a radon professional, or some other person; G Where in the home the previous test was taken, especially if you may plan to live in a lower level of the home. For example, the test may have been taken on the first floor. However, if you want to use the basement as living space, test there; and G What, if any, structural changes, alterations, or changes in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system have been made to the house since the test was done. Such changes might affect radon levels. If you accept the seller™s test, make sure that the test followed the Radon Testing Checklist . If you decide that a new test is needed, discuss it with the seller as soon as possible. If you decide to use a qualified radon tester, contact your s tate radon office to obtain a copy of their approved list of radon testing companies. 20 34 3.
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