What Nobody Told Us About Radon at Lake Tahoe

Learning about Radon at Tahoe: This little member of our the robot crew is getting smart. Our Radon Robots show up throughout this guide to bring warmth and cheer to the important conversation about Radon in homes.

How We Became Aware

When we purchased property in South Lake Tahoe, nobody alerted us to the fact that our property was located in a neighborhood with high potential for Radon. Later on, we found out we might want to be concerned, according to the Radon Potential Zone Map for the Lake Tahoe Area, California By Ronald K. Churchill, Ph.D. We learned that Radon is a colorless odorless gas that presents health danger, if it is allowed to build up in a home. Therefore, we had our home tested for Radon. (We were glad that our test came out OK!)

Based on our experience and the research regarding Radon, it's important to become aware of the health dangers Radon poses to Lake Tahoe residents. But, you don't have to fear getting your home tested for Radon. Even if a home has high Radon, there are devices that can be installed to mitigate it and make the property meet healthy guidelines. And, that's what this Radon at Tahoe guide is all about.

EPA recommendations apply to any home, and especially at Lake Tahoe.

The EPA states that, if you are buying or selling a home, you should have it tested for Radon.

For a new home, the EPA says you should ask if Radon-resistant construction features were used and if the home has been tested. They say to, "Fix the home if the Radon level is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk and, in many cases, may be reduced." What's pCi/L you ask? We'll be getting into that and other specifics as this guide progresses. For now, let's just throw out a few stats about how high Radon levels really are at Tahoe.

Radon Levels in The Area

The average indoor Radon levels of El Dorado County, as determined by Radon test results from Air Chek, is 3.8 pCi/L, and 33 percent of homes have Radon levels above 4pCi/L, which is the level at which EPA recommends taking action and installing Radon mitigation devices.

Douglas County, Nevada, on the other side of Lake Tahoe, has even higher Radon. The average indoor radon levels of Douglas County, as determined by radon test results from Air Chek, is 5.5 pCi/L, and 40 percent of homes have Radon levels above 4pCi/L, again above the Take Action level.

It's easy to see why EPA says everyone to have their home tested for its Radon levels. The Air Chek county Radon information is up-to-date and the numbers we cite above are from radon tests.

It concerns us that Radon levels in the Tahoe area are so high, especially since EPA estimates that Radon causes thousands of cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, according to EPA's Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes. To explore this concern and more, use the navigation links on the bottom of this page to continue reading.

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