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Should you test your home for radon?

Date Published: 02/25/2020 [Source]

Levels of a potentially dangerous gas are at their peak this time of year. Some homes are more prone to high radon levels.

There aren't any warning signs to look out for. Most people don't even realize they have a problem in their home until it's too late.

Linda Miller of St. Clairsville, Ohio found this silent danger in her home after some investigating.

"It started probably about a year ago, and I started having some issues with sinuses and headaches," she said.

She and her husband began to test for everything they could think of. Eventually, they detected radon.

"I didn't know radon even existed until I got online and looked, and it said you need to check this," Linda said.

Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas that seeps its way into buildings from the surrounding soil. Well water may also be a source of radon in some cases.

The EPA says that radon in indoor air doesn't have any immediate health effects, however, it is responsible for nearly 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year.

"These homeowners in this particular case were very smart and very wise to think radon," said Mark Bonar of Radon Solutions of West Virginia.

If you find you do have a radon problem, the EPA recommends you use a certified mitigation contractor to do the fix.