Do you know that Maine Radon affects 1 in 3 homes? That is a ton of homes and families being affected by Radon, a colorless, odorless, completely natural gas that can cause difficulties to humans if environmental levels get too high. Millions of homes have elevated radon levels, and are completely unaware of the danger.
No level of radon is considered to be safe, but the Environmental Protection Agency and the State of Maine consider a test level over 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) in the air and 4,000 pCi/L in water as an average level to be dangerous. For context – living in a house where you are consistently exposed to this level is a higher radiation exposure than is permitted for nuclear power plant workers. More than 25% of the homes tested in Maine are above 4 pCi/L, and it is not uncommon to see a house test over 50 pCi/L which, with annual exposure, equates to smoking two packs of cigarettes each day. Just because your neighbor’s house tests high, or low, does not mean your house’s test levels would be similar. This is why it is incredibly important to get your home tested before you buy and probably every few years after that. Our environment is changing and as we continue practices like fracking and rampant petroleum consumption we are going to continue disturbing what is under the bedrock.
It is better to have testing done so that you know what your radon levels are. If there is an elevated level of radon in your home’s air or water, take it seriously and get it corrected. At Maine Radon Pro we are certified to test for radon in air and water, and offer radon mitigation system solutions that work quickly and effectively. Luckily, there are fast and fairly easy testing methods to detect radon in the air and water of your home. Radon air tests can be purchased and placed by a homeowner, or the certified professionals at Radon Pro can take care of the testing for you. Radon water testing is more complicated, with stringent parameters for accurate testing procedures, and should be completed by a certified radon testing professional.
Maine Radon is nothing to mess with. There are a lot of great things to be had by living in Maine but lung cancer from Radon poisoning is not one of them. Make sure to test your air and your water if you have a well, regularly and have it mitigated if you have a problem. Your health is your biggest asset.