Let's start with the basics on this one, and the basics are scary. Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas and you can’t see it, smell it or taste it. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.

It gets scarier. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and the second on the list of causes of lung cancer, right there behind smoking. That is why the Surgeon General released a national health advisory about radon in 2005, urging people to test the air quality of inside their homes. This was news to me.

Want to read about how to test for it? Then read more

The EPA has some helpful information on testing:

The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picoCuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L." Sometimes test results are expressed in Working Levels (WL) rather than picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) (4 pCi/L equals to 0.016 WL). There are many kinds of low-cost "do-it-yourself" radon test kits you can get through the mail and in hardware stores and other retail outlets. If you prefer, or if you are buying or selling a home, you can hire a qualified tester to do the testing for you. You should first contact your state radon office about obtaining a list of qualified testers.

According to the EPA, nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. That is inspiration enough for me, I'm getting a kit this weekend and testing.

If you do test your indoor air quality and find that the radon levels are elevated, there are several things you can do to mitigate the problem. They generally involve creating better ventilation systems that draw the air from under the house and vent it to the outside so the radon is not trapped in your home.