Radon gas exposure is responsible for more deaths on an annual basis than drunk driving, falls in the home, drownings and even house fires, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Affiliated with roughly 21,000 fatalities per year, this substance, which comes from the radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water, trails only cigarette smoke as the top cause of lung cancer in the United States. But unlike the fumes produced from burning tobacco, Radon is odorless, colorless and can be found in almost any setting, as it seeps into the air of homes and offices without anyone even being aware.

How does Radon enter the home?

Because you spend most of your time in your house, it is imperative that you make sure the Radon level in the air on your property doesn't ever exceed 4 picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. The way that these fumes find their way into the air within a home is usually through cracks in the homes foundation that allow the chemical breakdown occurring naturally in the soil to come inside and build up.

Because the dangers of Radon have been made so public of late, new construction methods have been introduced over the past several years that have proven to help make a home Radon-resistant. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that even new homes built to be Radon-resistant should be tested for the substance before occupancy.

While the dangers associated with Radon are deadly serious, preventing the problem isn't impossible. There are some removal systems that are capable of taking away up to 99 percent of Radon from the air within a home if it is detected early enough. Whether you have an old house or a new property, contact a home inspection contractor today to conduct Radon testing and tell you the proper steps to take in making your residence safe for occupation.