Radon is a colorless odorless gas that is present through out the atmosphere. It contains radio active particles that damage the tender tissue in our lungs. This damage can result in lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. It is recommended that every home in the United States be tested for radon. The test will determine if the levels of radon in the home are high enough to warrant a mitigation system to lower the amount of radon to a safer level. Every major health association recommends that your home be tested. This includes the Office of the Surgeon General, the American Medical Association, The American Cancer Society, The Federal Environmental Protection Agency, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection., as well as the National Board of Realtors, and the American Society of Home Inspectors.

The test performed by Blue Bell Consulting involves placing a continuous monitor testing system that provides an hourly printout of the radon levels in the home during the test. The devise will also alert you if it has been moved or if a power failure occurred. Also included in the report is the temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure, so if the conditions change during the test, we can see it in the data. It also contains a battery backup so the test will continue uninterrupted. It is less likely to be effected by tampering than e-perm, or charcoal canister testing. It provides a 48 hour sample of the radon build up with in the home. If the levels of radon exceed 4.00 pCi/l, then there are follow up steps that are recommended in the form of possible additional testing or mitigation. It is highly recommended that this test be performed as part of the real estate transaction.