What Are the Standards and Regulations for Radon Levels?

What Are the Standards and Regulations for Radon Levels?

Radon exists everywhere in nature, both indoors and outdoors. When you’re outside, atmospheric radon levels are not high enough to damage your health; alternatively, enclosed indoor spaces are more susceptible to radon buildup.

Are there standards and regulations for radon levels indoors? While there are no current federal regulations that oversee indoor radon levels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established some guidelines. Let’s take a closer look at those standards and guidelines.

The Indoor Radon Abatement Act

In 1988, Congress signed the Indoor Radon Abatement Act into law, providing funding and resources with the goal of getting indoor air as radon-free as outdoor air.

Throughout the late ’80s and early ’90s, the EPA and other federal agencies created educational and training programs to inform the public about the dangers of radon. The EPA conducted wide-ranging surveys and put standards into place surrounding radon diagnostics and mitigation.

Recommended Levels

There is no truly safe level of radon in the air—any measurement above 0.0 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) carries some risk of lung cancer with it.

The EPA recommends radon mitigation if indoor levels are above 4 pCi/L, though they warn that levels below this reading are still risky. If a commonly used area in your home has radon levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L, radon mitigation can lower those levels.

Mitigation Tips

What should you do if your indoor radon levels exceed the EPA’s guideline of 4 pCi/L?

Install a Radon Fan

A radon mitigation fan system is the most effective way to vent radon out of your home and bring indoor levels down. A typical mitigation system works by pulling radon out of a suction pit in the basement, drawing the gas up through a series of pipes to the fan that vents it outside.

Seal Your Foundation

Because radon often seeps into homes through cracks or gaps in the concrete foundations, sealing up those cracks can help keep the gas out. Use a radon crack sealant to block off even the smallest gaps that can draw radon into your home.

So, what are the standards and regulations for radon levels in your home? While there are no hard-and-fast federal regulations governing radon levels, the EPA does have guidelines in place. If your radon levels creep up to 4 pCi/L or above, shop for all the mitigation supplies you need at Festa Radon Technologies.