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What Is Radon?
Radon is a colorless and odorless gas that comes from the soil. The gas can build up in the home. Radon gas decays into fine particles that are radioactive. When inhaled, these fine particles can damage the lung. Exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer.
It is estimated that 21,000 people die each year in the United States from lung cancer due to radon exposure. A radon test is the only way to know how much radon is in your home. Radon can be reduced with a mitigation system.
Where does it come from?
Radon is produced from the natural decay of uranium and radium, found in rocks and soil. Uranium breaks down to radium and radium eventually decays into the gas radon.
Radon gas is in the soil and common throughout Minnesota. Because soil is porous, radon moves up from the soil and into the home. It can then build up in the air and become a health concern.
Minnesota levels
Radon is a serious public health concern. The average radon level in Minnesota is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). This is three times higher than the average U.S. radon level.
This is due to our geology and how our homes are operated. Minnesota homes are closed up or heated most of the year, which can result in higher levels of radon.
Is there a safe level?
Any radon level poses some health risk. While it is not possible to reduce radon to zero, the best approach is to lower the radon level as much as possible.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set the action level at 4 pCi/L. MDH recommends installing a radon mitigation system when the radon level is at 4 pCi/L or higher.
Between 2 and 3.9 pCi/L, a radon mitigation system could be considered to lower the level as much as possible because many mitigation systems reduce the level to below 2 pCi/L.
Health risks
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for people who have never smoked. Your risk for lung cancer increases with higher levels of radon and longer periods of exposure. If you smoke, the combined risk of smoking and radon exposure is much higher.
How it enters the home
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer for people who have never smoked. Your risk for lung cancer increases with higher levels of radon and longer periods of exposure. If you smoke, the combined risk of smoking and radon exposure is much higher.
Source
In Minnesota, soil is the main source of radon. It occurs naturally in the soil.
Pathways
Radon gas usually enters the home through openings between the soil and the home.
Air Pressure
Differences in air pressure between the home's interior and the soil can pull radon gas into the home through the pathways.