4 Myths about Radon Testing

Myth: Radon testing is difficult, time-consuming and expensive.
Fact: Radon testing is easy. You can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company. Either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort. In Consumer Reports tests of radon kits, we found that long-term tests, which take readings for at least 90 days, are more accurate than short-term kits.

Myth: A neighbor’s test result is a good indication of whether you have a problem.
Fact: It’s not. Radon levels can vary greatly from home to home. The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test it.

Myth: Short-term tests can’t be used for making a decision about whether to fix your home.
Fact: Short-term tests can be used to decide whether to reduce a home’s high radon levels. However, the closer the short-term testing result is to 4 pCi/L (pico Curies per Liter), the less certainty there is about whether the home’s year-round average is above or below that level. Keep in mind that radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose some risk and that radon levels can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below in most homes.

Myth: I’ve lived in my home for so long, it doesn’t make sense to take action now.
Fact: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you’ve lived with an elevated radon level for a long time.

https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2012/01/the-epa-debunks-10-myths-about-radon/index.htm