AprilAire, the nationwide leader in delivering Healthy Air solutions to manage air purity, humidity, temperature, and fresh air supply, introduced a suite of radon testing and mitigation products nationwide this January for National Radon Action Month. Jens Housley, AprilAire’s senior product manager for radon, offers four facts about the odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that is known to sneak into one in every 15 U.S. homes and cause 21,000 deaths nationally every year.
“With our national footprint and our relationships with hundreds of Healthy Air Professionals nationwide, we can reach an even greater number of people to help them mitigate a problem they may not even know they have—radon,” said AprilAire Senior Product Manager for Radon Jens Housley. “You can’t see, smell or taste it so the only way to know if this sneaky killer is inside your home is to conduct a test. If radon is detected, our new products can now help homeowners remedy the problem and we’re happy to share the facts.”
#1: Radon sneaks in and only a test will detect it.
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils. Radon typically moves up through the ground into a home through the foundation, is then trapped inside where it builds up and decays into radioactive particles. Over time, radon can get trapped in a person’s lungs and damage the tissue, leading to lung cancer. Radon can also be present in water, but it’s important to test a home’s air for radon first because that’s more common.
#2: Short- and long-term radon testing is easy.
Radon is an odorless, colorless radioactive gas that can only be detected with a test. At-home tests are affordable, and most tests are set it and forget it. AprilAire’s Short-Term Radon Test Kit measures radon gas levels over a period of 3–7 days. AprilAire’s test results are easily accessible online once the test has been completed and mailed in for analysis. A long-term radon test (for increased accuracy and usually performed by a professional) measures levels for a period no less than 90 days, but once the test is set, there’s nothing a homeowner needs to do except go about their regular daily life. A test should be performed annually.
#3: More than 4 picocuries is cause for alarm.
Radon is typically measured by pCi/L or picocuries per liter of air. A picocurie measures the rate of radioactive decay of radon and is one trillionth of a curie (“curie” means unit of radioactivity). Just one picocurie is about six times smaller than the thickness of a human hair, so this very small unit of measure packs a very large punch.
Having a radon reading of 4 pCi/L or higher is considered hazardous. Even if a test reads less than 4, it can still pose a health risk so reducing the level of radon to as low as possible is not only necessary, but easy. Remediation options will reduce a home’s radon levels to below 4 pCi/L, ensuring healthier indoor air.
#4: Radon is a silent killer.
Nearly one out of every 15 homes in the United States have radon and any home can have it—new and old homes, well-insulated and drafty homes, and homes with and without basements. In 2019, residential radon exposure alone was estimated to have caused 84,000 deaths worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says radon exposure is responsible for about 21,000 U.S. deaths each year. It is the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, according to the EPA, and the three factors that most impact a person’s risk of getting lung cancer from radon exposure are how much radon is in the home, the amount of time spent in the home, and whether or not a person smokes or has ever smoked.
For more about the EPA’s National Radon Action Month this January, click here. To learn more about AprilAire’s Healthy Air solutions, including the new suite of radon products, or to find an AprilAire Healthy Air Professional, visit https://www.aprilaire.com.
About AprilAire
AprilAire is on a mission to enhance people’s health by improving the air in their homes nationwide. Headquartered in Madison, Wis. since 1954, AprilAire has been creating and delivering Healthy Air solutions to manage air purity, humidity, temperature, fresh air supply, and radon for all homes in all environments. The company has an unparalleled reputation as the brand of choice among tens of thousands of professional contractors and the millions of homeowners who use their products every day. Our professional-grade solutions reflect a combination of practical science and human understanding, intuitively designed to create healthy environments so people can breathe the fullness of life in their homes. For information, call AprilAire at 1-800-334-6011 or visit https://www.aprilaire.com.