Residential Tests I specialize in performing short-term radon gas detection tests, mostly in conjuction with real estate transactions. These tests are a minimum of 48 hours and do require that "Closed Building Conditions" be maintained in the home for the testing period (and 12 hours prior if only 48 hours of data is to be collected).  I use the Sun Nuclear model 1027 Professional Radon Monitor. It records data hourly and has tamper-monitoring features.    What is Radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that comes from decaying uranium. Radon has been linked to lung cancer as it is breathed into lungs. In water, it is not dangerous to drink, but if it is in water and you shower, it becomes airborne and inhaled, so is a risk in that manner. You should have your home tested for radon. Red is highest levels, yellow is lowest. Zone 1 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L (pico curies per liter) (red zones) Highest Potential Zone 2 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level between 2 and 4 pCi/L (orange zones) Moderate Potential Zone 3 counties have a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L (yellow zones) Low Potential Exposure to Radon Causes Lung Cancer In Non-smokers and Smokers Alike Lung cancer kills thousands of Americans every year. The untimely deaths of Peter Jennings and Dana Reeve have raised public awareness about lung cancer, especially among people who have never smoked. Smoking, radon, and secondhand smoke are the leading causes of lung cancer.  Although lung cancer can be treated, the survival rate is one of the lowest for those with cancer.  From the time of diagnosis, between 11 and 15 percent of those afflicted will live beyond five years, depending upon demographic factors.  In many cases lung cancer can be prevented; this is especially true for radon. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer.  Smoking causes an estimated 160,000* cancer deaths in the U.S. every year (American Cancer Society, 2004).  And the rate among women is rising.  On January 11, 1964, Dr. Luther L. Terry, then U.S. Surgeon General, issued the first warning on the link between smoking and lung cancer.  Lung cancer now surpasses breast cancer as the number one cause of death among women.  A smoker who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk of lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates.  Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.  Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year.  About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.  On January 13, 2005, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, the U.S. Surgeon General, issued a national health advisory on radon.  Visit www.cheec.uiowa.edu/misc/radon.html  for more on a study by Dr. William Field on radon-related lung cancer in women. For more information about Radon gas, visit  http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html