The Minnesota Department of Health recommends taking action to reduce radon levels if your home tests as having 2.0 pCi/L of radon. This is the level at which radon presence in your home measurably increases your lung cancer risk. Although 2.0 pCi/L is only half the EPA’s action level, there are a few reasons why the MDH recommends taking action when radon reaches this quantity:

• Glacial deposits and bedrock in Minnesota contain more uranium than in many other regions. The MDH estimates that ⅖ homes in Minnesota have radon levels of 4.0 pCi/L, with substantially more in the 2-4 range.
• The EPA’s 4.0 pCi/L level is more of a practical action trigger that balances feasibility and cost than a “safe” level. Research has shown that even lower levels of radon gas in a home can be a serious health hazard.
• Spending more time indoors increases the amount of radon you breathe in. Minnesotans tend to spend a proportionally higher amount of time indoors due to our extremely cold winters, placing us at a heightened risk of developing lung cancer from radon.
• Many Minnesota homes have basements with accessible slab floors, making radon mitigation system installation cheaper and easier than in many other states.

If you’re concerned about radon levels in your home, your smartest option is to contact a radon mitigation company in the Twin Cities area.