There are several ways to get a radon test:

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.

You can do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. from a hardware store. Or you can order one by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236) or going to the National Radon Program Services website (http://sosradon.org/test-kits). Set up the testing device to check the air for radon.

1. You can get “do it yourself” radon test kits through online retail outlets or in some hardware stores and other home improvement stores.
2. If you prefer, or if you are buying or selling a home, you can hire a qualified tester to do the testing for you.

Charcoal tests absorb the radon in the air for a specified amount of time, and once in the lab, the radioactive particles emitted by the charcoal are counted or converted to light, giving a radon level readout.

Findings show radon tests of less than 90 days are imprecise up to 99 percent of the time. A new study finds the only reliable way to measure exposure to radon gas is with a long-term testing kit, 90 or more days. Researchers placed two test kits, a short term (five-day) and long term (90-day) in the same homes.

In some cases, radon levels can be lowered by ventilating the crawlspace passively (without the use of a fan) or actively (with the use of a fan). Crawlspace ventilation may lower indoor radon levels both by reducing the home’s suction on the soil and by diluting the radon beneath the house.

As a temporary solution, however, you can reduce radon levels simply by opening windows. Opening windows improves air circulation and ventilation, helping move radon out of the house and mixing radon-free outside air with indoor air. Make sure all your basement windows are open.

Data shows that radon is increasingly even across seasons, and in ¼ of homes can even be at its highest during summer periods. For most of the 20th century, radon levels in residential buildings were found to have been highest during the winter heating months (October to April in most Northern Hemisphere countries).

HEPA Filters A HEPA filter is a high-efficiency particulate arrester that can remove almost all but not all particles from indoor air. However, HEPA filters can’t remove radon itself since it’s a gas. Air filtration and ventilation can help if you can pinpoint the source of radon seeping in.

No, buying a dehumidifier will not make radon go away. Radon must be removed by a remediation method like active soil depressurization (ASD), which ironically has been shown to be even more effective at removing humidity from a home than a dehumidifier in the same EPA study.

Realtors, radon contractors and most home owners are also aware that is is not too difficult to cheat or effect the radon test results in their favor by opening windows or doors or by other means after the inspector or tester leaves the home. Most home inspections, about 90% will include a radon test.

Rain, thunderstorms and high wind can also have an affect on radon testing results. Radon readings have been known to go down when the outdoor wind speeds increase during periods of high humidity. When the seasons change such as fall to winter, radon testing can be affected.

The average US home has about 1.3 pCi/l, but the EPA has designated much of southeast Michigan as a “hot spot.” In the general Ann Arbor area, for example, about 45% of untreated homes will fail the radon test.

4.0 pCi/L

If a potential buyer conducts a radon test and those levels come back high, the buyer has the right to walk away from the sale (nearly all do) and you’ll be obligated to disclose the radon to future buyers, reducing your appeal.

Levels of 4 pCi/L or higher are considered hazardous. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk and in many cases can be reduced, although it is difficult to reduce levels below 2 pCi/L. The EPA estimates that a radon removal system costs about $1,200 for an average house.