Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in the Earth and gets into the air you breathe. Radon gas enters your home through cracks and openings in the foundation and into the air. Also, radon can be released into the air when well water is used for bathing, cooking and cleaning. 

Just like carbon monoxide, you cannot see, smell or taste radon. Radon gas testing is easy. The only way to find out if you have a radon problem in your home is to have it tested. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer.  In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US today. If you are a smoker and are exposed to high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Any home can have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. In fact, you and your family are most likely to get your greatest radiation exposure at home, because this is where you spend most of your time.

Nearly 1 in every 15 homes in the US is estimated to have too high a radon level.  Elevated levels of radon gas can be found throughout Michigan.

The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter of air). Outside air measures roughly 0.4 pCi/L of radon. If your home is found to have high levels of radon, generally, it can be reduced to 2 pCi/L, or less.