Radon is a naturally occurring,

invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is produced as uranium and radium

break down in soil and rock. It is harmlessly dispersed and diluted in

outdoor air, but when trapped in buildings, can be harmful, especially

at elevated levels. Because it is a gas, it can easily seep from the soil

or rock into a house through cracks and holes in a foundation or crawl

spaces.

The good news is that radon

is detectable and can be reduced by up to 99 percent in

your home. Marci De Sart, the

Pollution Prevention Assistance Division's

(P2AD) radon specialist, agrees.

"There are testing methods

that are readily available to citizens, it's simply a matter of people

educating themselves and taking action," she said. "As the state's

lead agency on radon, P2AD works with Southface Energy Institute, The

University of Georgia and various local governments to increase awareness

and understanding of radon and promote testing."

What can you do?

The first step to protect yourself

and your family from radon is to test your home. Just because your neighbor's

house doesn't have a high radon level, does not mean that you can assume

your home is safe. Radon levels can vary considerably from house to house,

even on the same street. It is nearly impossible to predict the exact

nature of geologic soil deposits and the extent to which soil gasses will

seep into and be retained by a specific house. The only way to know whether

there are elevated radon levels in your home, and to protect your family

from radon, is to test.

Radon tests can be performed

Many are priced under $25. Testing your home for radon is as simple as

opening a package, placing a radon detector in a designated area, and,

after the prescribed number of days, sealing the detector back in the

package and mailing it to a lab.

If a test shows that your home

has elevated levels of radon, a variety of methods can be used to reduce

it. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part

of most approaches to radon reduction. The EPA does not recommend the

use of sealing and caulking alone to reduce radon because, by itself,

sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently.

In most cases, systems with pipes and fans are used to reduce radon levels.

Radon reduction contractors may use other methods that may also work in

your home, depending on its design and other factors. For a list of certified

radon measurement and mitigation professionals visit www.radongas.org.

The Pollution Prevention Assistance

Division is Georgia's lead state agency for radon. Under contract with

P2AD, Southface Energy Institute is responsible for encouraging radon-resistant

construction, providing technical assistance and outreach to the general

public, educators, the building community and real estate agents. For

more information about radon, visit www.p2ad.org or www.southface.org

or contact Southface locally at 404-872-3549 or 800-745-0037.

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