Homeowners, new and old, should be familiar with their Radon Gas readings

Radon is a noble gas that is a natural byproduct of the constant breakdown of uranium. The radon in soil and rocks rises, resulting in an average level of 0.4 picocuries per liter of outdoor air.

In many cases, buildings are essentially large boxes placed over holes in the ground, so radon that used to mix with outdoor air builds up in a structure. “Radon is found in homes new or old. It is found in homes with and without basements. It is found in houses built on ledge and houses built on the sands of Cape Cod,” according to an online fact sheet from the state.

The EPA advises homeowners to mitigate if the radon level is above 4 pCi/L (10 times the average outdoor level), although “levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk, and in many cases may be reduced.”  The average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L.

John Lugo, president of Eagle Environmental, a West Boylston company that installs radon-mitigation systems, said there isn’t universal agreement on what a safe level radon is. “Some countries say you should mitigate any building with 2 pCi/L or higher. Others say 8 pCi/L,” Lugo said. “The World Health Organization says anything over 2.7 pCi/L should be mitigated. We install systems designed to get levels as low as they can be. After 30,000 installations all over New England, our average is below 1 pCi/L.”

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Kevin Woo