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IDEM > Your Environment > Radon > Testing for Radon Testing for Radon

All homes should be tested for radon.

Any home may have a radon problem regardless of the zone in which the home is located. The only way to know about your home is to test it. The US Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon. Millions of Americans have already tested their homes for radon.

You can test for radon in your home yourself, or call a certified radon tester to perform the test for you.

The quickest way to test is with short-term tests. Most short-term tests remain in a home for one to three days, depending on the device. Because radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, a short-term test is less likely than a long-term test to tell the year-round average radon level. If results are needed quickly, a short-term test followed by a second short-term test may be used to decide whether to fix a home. Long-term tests remain in a home for more than 90 days. A long-term test will give a more accurate reading that is likely to be closer to the home's year-round average radon level than a short-term test.

Regardless of which test kit is used, follow the instructions on the test kit or contact a certified radon tester. If a radon test kit is purchased at a hardware store, the test kit should be placed in the lowest lived-in level of the home, but not in the kitchen or bathroom. Once the test is finished, reseal the package and send it right away to the lab specified on the package for study. The package should give an approximation of how long it will take the lab to send you the results of the test.

What should I do if the radon level in my home is high?

The US EPA recommends that if the result of a short-term test is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, take a follow-up test to be sure. For a better understanding of year-round average radon level, take a long-term test. If results are needed quickly, take a second short-term test. If the second test result is also high, consider installing a radon mitigation system.

ISDH maintains a list of Indiana Certified Mitigators (Currently Unavailable). For questions or more information, call:
Radon Hotline at (800) 272-9723.