Radon Testing

Radon is a gas that is odorless, colorless, and goes undetected without a radon test.  Radon is a by-product of uranium which is found in the earth (soil). Radon testing is performed in the lowest livable level of a property. Radon comes into a property through the ground and can penetrate the cracks in the concrete floor, foundation walls, or through the gaps around water and sewage pipes.  Health risks effect from high radon exposure include lung cancer. 

Radon testing is performed to determine the levels (concentration) of radon gas. When the radon levels are below 4.0 pCi/L no further action is required. If the radon concentration is greater then or equal to 4.0 pCi/L, the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that a radon mitigation system be installed to reduce the concentration below 4.0 pCi/L.

It is recommended that if you have recently replaced window, doors, installed a high efficiency furnace, or made a modification of the home (i.e. installed a french drain) a radon test should be performed.

In a real estate transaction a buyer is given the opportunity to perform a radon test to determine if their new property has a radon concentration above 4.0 pCi/L.  High levels of radon can occur in any city and on any street.  Homes with a basement, homes built above a crawl space, and homes on a concrete slab can have a high level of radon.    There are townships in New Jersey that are classified as high radon areas. This classification means that at least twenty five percent of the homes in that township have an elevated radon level. However, even if your township is not a high radon area, there are still homes that may have high radon, the only way to know this is by performing a radon test.

In the State of New Jersey all licensed childcare facilities must show that each occupied room has been tested. A radon test must be performed every five years and the results of the testing must be posted by the childcare facility, at a location in the building which is readily visible to persons having responsibility for any child that attends the center.

Radon testing is also performed by homeowner to ensure their family is not exposed to high levels of radon or by building owners to ensure their tenants are in a safe environment.

A & M Engineering Services, Inc. uses the following three methods to perform radon testing:

The Electret Ion Chamber (E-Perm) method is our preferable method for real estate transactions and childcare facilities because the results are available within three hours.  The radon test period is at least 48 hours but can be as long as seven days. A radon measurement technician or specialist will place two devices in each home. The number of devices in a childcare facility is dependent upon the number of occupied rooms. After a minimum of two days the radon devices are picked up and brought back to our laboratory for analysis.  The radon results are available within three hours after returning to the laboratory.

A & M generates a radon report whose format has been reviewed and approval by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.  The radon report is sent to our client and the owner of the property.  Reports sent to any other individual or company must have the written approval of the owner of the building.

The Charcoal Canister method is only used for very large buildings such as schools and commercial properties.  The test period is also two to seven days.  It is our experience that the charcoal canisters are not as accurate as the Electret method and should not be used in a home, where there is a high moisture level or a potential for volatile chemicals.  Once the canisters are retrieved they must be sent to an off-site laboratory for analysis.  The results are normally available within a few days after they have been retrieved. 

The Alpha-Track method is used for long-term testing. A minimum of six months is needed for an accurate test; therefore not used in real estate transactions.  Once the alpha track is retrieved it must be sent to an off-site laboratory for analysis.  The result is normally available in three weeks.

For more information please visit the websites for the US EPA at www.epa.gov, or the State of New Jersey at http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/index.htm.