Radon in the House

Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas that can enter your home from the ground through cracks in the foundation. A known human carcinogen, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Pennsylvania has one of the most serious radon problems in the United States. Approximately 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes have radon levels above Environmental Protection Agency’s action guideline of 4 picocuries per liter.

You can search for radon test data by zip code, but hands down, the smartest thing to do is to test your home for radon, no matter where you live. Protect yourself and your loved ones: Do a home radon test.

Contact the Radon Division

Radon Hotline: 800-237-2366
Phone: 717-783-3594
Email us
Fax: 717-783-8965

Testing Your Home is Easy

Testing is the only way to know if your home has elevated levels of radon. An easy home test kit can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores for about $20 to $30. You may also hire a state-certified testing company. Because radon levels are often highest in the basement, placing your test there is a good idea. However, radon levels can also be high above ground, even in homes without basements, so the ground floor is also a good location to test.

How to test your home for radon

Free Radon test kits available while supplies last

The American Lung Association has free radon test kits available to Pennsylvanian residents starting in January, National Radon Action Month. The test kits are available on a first come, first served basis. Only Pennsylvania residents who have not yet tested their homes for radon are eligible. For information on how to have a free test kit sent to you, visit the American Lung Association in PennsylvaniaOpens In A New Window website.

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What To Do If Your Home Radon Results are High

Confirm the Results

If your radon test results are higher than 4 pCi/L, consider doing a second test to confirm the results. If your radon test result is 4-8 pCi/L, you can do a second long-term (365 days) test to get a better idea of the annual average or do another short-term test (2-7 days). In either case, if the result is still 4 pCi/L or higher, you should take corrective action to reduce the radon levels in your home.

Have a Certified Contractor Install a Radon Reduction System

Contact any of the certified radon mitigation contractors in your area. Use our mitigator list, sorted alphabetically by county, to find a mitigator near you. Have them come to your home and give you ideas and estimates for the installation of a radon reduction system.

The installation should take less than a day. After the system has been running for at least 24 hours, the installer should perform a follow-up test to make sure radon levels have been successfully reduced.

How a home radon reduction system works

Monitor the System Over Time

Periodically look at the U-tube manometer that has been installed on the PVC piping of your system to make sure the fan is running. The fan is running if the levels of fluid on each side of the glass tube are uneven. If the fluid levels on each side of the glass tubing are even with each other, the fan may not be working properly or may be off completely. In this case, you should call your installer to have them look at the fan and system.

The second aspect of monitoring your system is performing a radon test, generally in the basement and preferably during the heating season, once every two years.

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How DEP Can Help

Newborn Testing Program

Through an EPA-funded program, hospitals give parents of newborn children a packet of information which includes a coupon for a free radon test kit from the DEP.

Test Results Confirmation: Free Kits

1. All Pennsylvanians who’ve tested their homes or other buildings for radon and found screening levels greater than 100 picocuries per liter may receive a free short-term confirmation test kit from the DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection. For this free kit, please call 800-237-2366 or 717-783-3594.
2. If an active (fan-powered) radon mitigation system has been installed in your home within the last year, you may receive a free, long-term radon test kit (Alpha Track Detector). Send:

• Proof of system installation
• Copy of post-mitigation test result below 4 picocuries per liter
  to:

Department of Environmental Protection
Bureau of Radiation Protection
P.O. Box 8469
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8467

or fax to Radon Division, 717-783-8965

Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.

More Helpful Resources for Homeowners

• The EPA radon websiteOpens In A New Window has a lot of information on radon’s health hazards and radon levels, testing, and mitigation.
• The EPA has great information for parents concerned about radon at their children’s schoolOpens In A New Window.
• The National Academy of Sciences publication on Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking WaterOpens In A New Window is the most recent authoritative work on the issue of radon in drinking water and its health effects. Scroll down and read the Executive Summary.
• Check out the Resource tab at Radon LeadersOpens In A New Window, a collaborative website of the federal government, states, and industry all involved with the promotion of radon awareness.
• The U.S. Geological Survey provides some great basic information on radon and geologyOpens In A New Window.