16 | September 2019
T
he process of buying a home requires a
good amount of investigation, even in the
best of situations. When there are con-
cerns that may be hidden or invisible,
that just makes it even more important for
those looking to buy a home to perform
their due diligence. One very important
example of this is determining if a property has (or is prone
to having) a radon problem.
Radon is a natural occurring radioactive gas that is a
colorless, odorless and tasteless. It is practically undetect-
able without the use of specialized detection equipment.
The presence of radon in a home is concerning because
Radon Protection:
How Homebuyers can do Their Due Diligence
By Robert Dekanski
not only can it not be seen, smelled or tasted, the Surgeon
General says that radon exposure is the second leading
cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the United States
today. In fact, about 2,900 of the 21,000 reported radon-re-
lated lung cancer deaths include people who have never
smoked. In addition, the elderly, young children, smokers,
and anyone with breathing/lung or other respiratory issues
can be at higher risk of severe illness or death when over-
exposed to radon.
While radon can be found in homes and other buildings
across the entire United States, there are certain "radon
zones" around the country in which the chances of finding
radon in significant levels is higher than average. This is
