By Jake Lusby, owner of Air Sense Environmental (Illinois IEMA Mitigation Professional, license RNM20232346). Free to read, no sign-up.
January is National Radon Action Month, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) observes each year to encourage people to test their homes for radon (EPA National Radon Action Month information). This page gathers our plain-language answers to the questions St. Louis and Metro East homeowners, buyers, and sellers ask most, with links to the state and federal sources so you can check the facts yourself.
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas. EPA estimates it is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year and is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers (EPA, Health Risk of Radon).
When to test, and for how long
- How Long Should You Test for Radon? Short-Term vs. Long-Term Testing
- Radon Levels: Winter vs. Summer and Why Testing Timing Matters
- How Often Should You Test for Radon?
- National Radon Action Month: Why St. Louis Homes Should Test Before January
Home test kits and professional testing
- Are DIY Radon Test Kits Accurate? What St. Louis Homeowners Should Know
- Radon Testing vs. Radon Mitigation: Which Do You Need First?
Understanding your result
EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) or higher and considering a fix between 2 and 4 pCi/L.
- What Is a Dangerous Radon Level? Understanding Your pCi/L Results
- St. Louis-area radon test results by county: about 1 in 3 of 44,141 public state test records across 11 counties came back at or above 4.0 pCi/L. County figures cannot predict an individual home.
After a mitigation system is installed
Choosing a radon professional
- Radon Mitigation Companies in St. Louis, MO: How to Choose One
- Check an Illinois radon license on IEMA’s public license lookup. The IEMA registry lists Jacob Lusby as Mitigation Professional RNM20232346, employer Air Sense Environmental.
Radon terms explained
- Radon Glossary: plain definitions of pCi/L, action level, sub-slab depressurization, and other terms you will see on a test report or estimate.
Listen instead
Our St. Louis Radon Answers podcast covers the same questions in short episodes, including an episode on National Radon Action Month and why St. Louis homes should test.
Check the source
- U.S. EPA: National Radon Action Month information
- U.S. EPA: Health Risk of Radon
- Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security: Radon in Illinois
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services: Residential radon test data map service
Ready to test?
Air Sense Environmental can arrange radon testing for homes across the Greater St. Louis bi-state metro, and installs radon mitigation systems when a result calls for one. Call 314-664-9807 or use our contact page.