ABA Family Legal Guide

Home Ownership

Property Insurance and Other Protections

Environmental Issues

How do you test for radon?

Testing for radon in well water requires sending a sample to a laboratory for analysis. Inexpensive test kits for radon in the air are available at hardware stores, but be sure they have been approved by a federal or state health, environmental, or consumer protection agency. Long-term testing over a year is most accurate, but short-term testing can let you know if you have a potential problem.

Most homes contain from one to two picocuries of radon per liter of air (pCi/L). If rooms in your home have more than four picocuries of radon per liter of air, it should be reduced. This normally isn't a do-it-yourself project, but professional radon-reduction contractors can determine the source of the gas, seal leaks, and install fans, pumps, or other equipment to keep it out. Special filter systems can remove radon from your water supply. Depending on the number of sources, the amount of radon and the construction of the home, installing radon-reduction equipment costs anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars but in most cases is less expensive than deleading.