Radon Levels Maybe Higher than Assumed in Williamsburg Area – Radon Testing Kit available from Virginia Department of Heath for only $3 thru May 31, 2022

Test your home’s radon levels with a Radon Testing Kit available from Virginia Department of Heath (VDH) for only $3 thru May 31, 2022

Though the Coastal Plain area, where Williamsburg is located, is considered a low risk area for radon, a recent article in Virginia Mercury discusses findings from local WM geology Professor Jim Kaste and research associate and former Virginia state geologist Rick Berquist. They found that the levels may be higher in some homes than originally thought in the Williamsburg area. The only way to know the level is to test.

Why is radon in the Williamsburg area? If you home is built on an area that has the Yorktown Formation layer of sediment then it may have radon due to what is in that layer of earth. The Yorktown Formation is made of sand, shells and marine bones. The fossils (sharks teeth and whale bone) are actually the main source of uranium which decays into radon. Here is a great website created by Kaste and Berquist that explains more about Radon and what they found in the area. There is also a link to a quick video that explains all of this and how to test for radon (view it below and here).

The Virginia Department of Health is offering $3 Radon Testing kits through May 31 on their website. According to the EPA, Radon is the second leading second leading cause of lung cancer (first leading cause among non-smokers). Radon comes up through the ground as a gas and can enter your home through a home’s crawlspace, construction joints, air vents and even water. The only way to determine the level of Radon in your home or workspace is through a radon test. The amount of radon is measured in “picocuries per liter of air”.  The EPA recommends action by the homeowner if the level is 4 picocurie per liter or more. Indoor radon is usually at the highest concentration during the winter and lowest in the summer. So it is recommended to test in the colder months. Testing should be done on the lowest living level of the home.

Local and online companies offer testing kits, but the Virginia Department of Health is offering a limited number of radon test kits to Virginia residents for only a $3 shipping fee. This offer is only available between the dates of September 1 and May 31.  To order your $3 test kit click here.

Did we try it? Yes. We ordered it. It arrived in a week. We tested it over a 48 hour period and then mailed it back to the company who created the kit. Our only cost was the original $3 shipping fee. Since we just mailed it a few days ago, the results are not back yet. The process was simple and the instructions were very clear. To order your $3 test kit click here.