Does Your Home Contain the Second Leading Cause of Lung Cancer?

When you ask what the leading cause of lung cancer is, most people will know that it is smoking cigarettes.  That is because the information is out there and readily available.  It’s taught in schools, shows targeting family audiences often have anti-smoking messages, and the US Surgeon General has been recommending against smoking for decades.  When you ask what the second leading cause of lung cancer is, most people will have no idea.  The information is readily available, but it doesn’t get the same public attention that smoking receives.

I can only guess to the lack of attention received by the second leading cause of lung cancer, but I suspect the reason is that it’s just not as interesting and making a personal decision to avoid unhealthy behaviors.  It’s not an addictive substance, there’s no associated peer pressure, and it would make for the world’s most boring family sitcom.  The second leading cause of lung cancer is radon gas, which occurs naturally in the soil and seeps into homes without any way for the occupants to know it’s there.  Radon gas has no taste, color, or smell, and cannot be detected by human senses.

Radon is found in varying concentrations almost everywhere.  There is no “safe” level of radon to breathe, but the EPA set an action level of 4 picoCuries per liter, above which mitigation, or action, is recommended.  Radon mitigation is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of a new home, and the first step to fixing the problem is identifying it.

Cheap charcoal radon monitors can be accurate under the right conditions, but they don’t often describe what those conditions are and they are easy to tamper with.  Furthermore, there are hidden costs required for accurate readings, such as paying for overnight shipping and expedited lab analysis.  Standard shipping and regular (low) priority analysis can interfere with accuracy and extend the turnaround time past the usual 10 day real estate inspection period.  Grand Home Inspection LLC uses EPA approved continuous radon monitoring techniques that provide instant results after the monitoring period.  This is the fastest way to accurately measure radon in your home, or a home you’re considering buying, so that you can breathe with confidence!