# Will Radon hurt me?



## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

we bought our house three years ago and the inspection report indicated that the radon levels in the unfinished basement were just under the threshold that would suggest some sort of remediation. i looked for the inspection report but couldn't find it.

Well, since COVID closed my office 1 year ago i've been working from the basement, routinely spending 60-80 hours down here every week. I'm not dead yet, but should retest for radon? should i do some sort of remediation?


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## tommyboy (Aug 20, 2019)

Hell ya! Test.


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## TulsaFan (May 1, 2017)

Radon poisoning is the second leading cause of lung cancer. I would exit the basement and definitely retest before returning.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

A lot of people misinterpret the threshold for mitigation as a safety level. There is no safe level of exposure to radon. Radon levels change drastically with atmospheric pressure. If you get a low pressure storm coming through, levels will rise. On a sunny clear day, radon measurements may fall below the threshold. You can, of course, live for decades with no negative effects.

But. A radon mitigation system is pretty much 100% effective and I don't even hear mine running. I think some people are afraid of the effect on selling, but I would rather have one than not.


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

thanks all. Test kit ordered to see what I'm dealing with and i'm checking on what remediation might look like.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

You should 100% reduce radon if it is too high. If you haven't found it already:
https://www.epa.gov/radon
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/2016_consumers_guide_to_radon_reduction.pdf


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

results came back. levels are lower than what i was expecting. it doesn't look like this needs remediation. thoughts?


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

What was the barometric pressure?


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

@Thejarrod I blacked out your address and re-uploaded your image in the post above - just to be safe. :thumbup:


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## Thejarrod (Aug 5, 2018)

I poked around the weather data websites for a bit. I didn't find an actual historic barometric pressure. during the three calendar days of the test, there was zero rain the first two days, and just 0.07 on the third day. that doesn't truly answer the question about barometric pressure so i'll keep checking. 
@ionicatoms i'm thinking that a 90 day test would be better at smoothing out the barometric changes. correct?
and thanks for looking out Ware.


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## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I'm not sure what data comes back with the 90 day test. The three tests I did all came back with graphs showing the radon and pressure levels over time. On my test results, a low pressure system moving in resulted in my radon spiking up to about 17. Of course, these low pressure systems bring rain and confinement in doors with little air exchange. So, even though my numbers averaged under 4 on clear days, I put the mitigation system in anyway. My neighbors were very surprised. What I did probably doesn't represent what the average person does or would do.

Your test report doesn't seem to include the maximum or minimum levels observed during the observation period. You have to decide what information you need to make a decision you're comfortable with.

Ps. I checked the calibration labels on all the equipment that was used during my tests.


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## rhanna (Jun 7, 2017)

We had a mitigation system installed in our last home. It had a finished basement that we planned on using frequently so it was a no brainer. I think our levels were pretty high.


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## SCGrassMan (Dec 17, 2017)

Best bet is to move south.


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## Lawndress (Jul 9, 2020)

The EU disagrees with the EPA, and when the EPA tried to do studies to show that low levels of radon was dangerous, they got the reverse result, with lower levels of lung cancer for people with low levels of radon exposure vs none. This suggests hormesis.


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