Radon Control Program

Radon Mitigation

If the results of your follow-up short term and/or long term Radon Testing reveals a Radon level greater than or equal to the US Environmental Protection Agency action level of 4.0 pCi/L, mitigation actions will be necessary to reduce your risk of lung cancer.

Radon mitigation is any activity taken, and any materials or equipment installed, to reduce the levels of radon gas in a building. Radon gas can enter a home or building through cracks in the basement floor and walls, drains, sumps and drain tiles, crawl spaces, porous blocks and exposed soil. The air pressure in a building is generally lower than the pressure in soil, thereby allowing for radon to flow into the structure.

Radon reduction techniques may consist of measures to prevent the entry of radon gas into a building, as well as venting of radon gas before it enters a building. The construction of a building is important in choosing the most effective Radon reduction method.

Sealing of floor and wall cracks in the basement, and sealing around sump pump holes or other drains is a simple radon mitigation activity. However, sealing alone normally will not result in significant reductions in Radon gas and the basement must constantly be checked for new cracks and entry points.

Sub-slab depressurization is a very common, effective and reliable method of reducing radon gas levels in a building. This method uses vent pipes with fans to capture radon gas below a house’s basement floor and vents directly to the outside.

Heat recovery ventilators, also know as air to air heat exchangers, may be used to reduce radon levels. This method increases ventilation by bringing additional outdoor air into the building. This outdoor air is heated or cooled with indoor air being exhausted. Energy costs may be increased with this type of mitigation method.

Soil depressurization is conducted to ventilate the soil surrounding the home. This method is often used when a building has drains to remove ground water from below the basement floor.

Active ventilation may be used for buildings with crawl spaces, and may be the most effective method of Radon reduction in this situation.

Regardless of the method used, Radon mitigation should be conducted by a RI Licensed Radon Mitigation Contractor. These businesses have the technical training and knowledge to properly evaluate your home and install the most effective radon mitigation system. For a current list of licensed radon mitigation contractors, please visit our Licensee Lists page.

Following any Radon mitigation activities, post-mitigation testing should be performed. This will typically consist of short-term testing to verify that your Radon levels have been reduced below the EPA’s action level of 4 pCi/L