What is Radon and what is it doing in My Omaha Property? Along with home inspections it is quite typical to have a Radon Inspection performed as well. Usually the home inspector has the ability to do the initial testing and then if the air quality dictates it we will submit the Radon mitigation out for bid. Usually the seller picks up the cost of the mitigation provided it is written into the purchase contract. I will assist in coordinating inspections and the like. Since I am not the expert I thought I would rely on the expertise of Arid Resources to supply you the answers below.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas formed by the decay of uranium. Found in soil and groundwater, radon creeps into homes and buildings through cracks, drains and other voids in basement floors and walls. It may also enter through water faucets.

Colorless, odorless and tasteless, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates, radon-related lung cancer causes over 21,000 deaths in America each year. (More radon risk information)

Eastern Nebraska and all of Iowa are in the highest priority zone for radon, and one out of every two homes in Nebraska — seven times the national average — is expected to have radon levels that exceed EPA's recommended action level of 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air.

The average outdoor level of radon in the U.S. is about 0.4 pCi/L, and the average indoor level is 1.3 pCi/L. By contrast, the average level of radon in Nebraska is 5.5 pCi/L, more than four times the national average and 1.5 pCi/L over the EPA's action level.

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