Radon In Tennessee

About Radon . . .

Radon is an invisible, odorless, colorless, tasteless gas. This gas occurs from the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil. Radon gas had been found in every state in the U.S. It can enter your home, school worksite or other buildings where you may spend a lot of time.

It is currently estimated that the average American will receive over half (55%) of their lifetime radioactive exposure from radon. Other sources of radioactivity include man-made devices such as X-rays and naturally occurring sources in the environment.

The United States Surgeon General has stated that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon exposure accounts for 20,000 deaths each year. The risk of lung cancer from radon drastically increases if a person is now, or has ever been a smoker. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Environmental Health Agency have determined that radon is a “Class A” known human carcinogen.

There are actions you can take to protect you and your family from radon exposure. Testing is the key to knowing whether or not your home has elevated levels of radon. This testing can be done with great ease and little cost.

If your home is found to have an elevated radon level, it can be fixed. A radon mitigation system, properly installed by a certified radon mitigator can bring the level of radon below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action level of 4 pCi/L. The cost is similar to other home maintenance requirements, usually under $2,000.00.

If you need more information that is not available on this web site, or if you need someone to answer your radon questions it’s as easy as calling your county Extension office or the state Radon Hot Line at 1-800-232-RADON.

State Contact

Martha Keel, PhD
Professor & Extension Environmental Health Specialist
University of Tennessee Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
119 Morgan Hall
Knoxville, TN 37996-4501
Phone: (865) 974-8197
Fax: (865) 974-5370
Email: mkeel@utk.edu