Radon

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is Radon?  Radon is an odorless, tasteless, naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the soil. It is produced when uranium decays and works its way up through the soil into the atmosphere. Granite rock, common in Georgia, can contain significant amounts of uranium.
• How long does the Radon test take? The inspector will drop off the equipment, usually placed in a cold, dark basement or room that is unaffected or not-trafficked, and will retrieve that device, and its readings in 48-hours. It is essential that the home not lose power, and the device remain undisturbed. If the device has been disturbed it may produce a faulty reading. If it is powered off, it will not continue reading the radon levels and the inspection will fail.
• When will I get my results? ONSITE – the inspector will email them to you upon retrieval of the radon detector.
• What is a “high level” of radon? We use equipment that produces a reading of the highs, lows and EPA averages. The average should never be higher than 4.0. Anything higher is considered dangerous and should be remediated. 
• Where / what parts of Georgia is it mostly found? Typically, any property within 100 miles of Stone Mountain is more susceptible to elevated levels of radon? This includes cities like Atlanta, Duluth, Alpharetta, Roswell, and the surrounding areas. Radon testing is extremely important for the safety of you and your family in the Atlanta area. Here is radon a MAP and another MAP of Georgia.
• What do I do if I have a high level of radon? Contact a Radon remediation service. We do not provide recommendations (due to conflict of interest).

Many people are unaware of how dangerous radon is. Below are a few facts that detail its hazards — and why we should care:

• According to the American Cancer Society, radon poisoning is the No. 1 cause of lung cancer after tobacco.
• The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
• Radon is a radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste. You must do a radon test to know if it’s in your home.
• Many homeowners have radon and don’t know about it. In fact, the EPA estimates that one in every 15 homes in the U.S. has elevated levels of radon.

Some information on Radon:

1. https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/radon
   
2. https://www.epa.gov/radiation/what-radon-gas-it-dangerous
   
3. https://extension.uga.edu/programs-services/radon-testing/georgia-radon-map.html
   
4. https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/radon-testing/DCA_GA_Radon_Map_Jan06-Sep15.pdf
   
5. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2014-08/documents/georgia.pdf