A Look at the Criterion for Classifying Radon Test Kits

Ever since the 80s, new technologies have allowed the creation of home radon test kits that have increased the safe inhabitance of all house areas. Due to the widely debated issues related to the dangers of radon gas exposures, people's awareness of the health threat brought by this radioactive element has entered an ascending path, inevitably triggering a wide demand for testing. Besides the tests conducted by professional teams, any house owner is now able to learn the radon level on his or her estate by the use of radon test kits. Manufactured according to governmental orders, such devices come for very low prices or even for free, in certain special cases.

There are several types of radon test kits, and classifications can be made according to different criteria; first of all we should refer to the usage period. There are radon test kits for short-term and for long-term usage; it is often recommended that they be used in parallel since one usually needs immediate analysis as well as extended investigations. Such a requirement is totally justified by the fact that radon gas levels vary from one day to another, depending on the season, the possible modifications in the soil structure beneath the house and so on.

For instance, short-term radon test kits require a two or three-day exposure period before they be sent to laboratories for investigations. This type of devices are ideal for frequent usage, and they can be well combined with their long-term counterparts. The latter are used for time lapses that vary from three months to over a year, and provide comprehensive data on the fluctuations of radon according to season changes and temperature variations. The results of both kinds of radon test kits should be made available to any new house owner, in case the estate is sold.

Another criterion for classifying radon test kits is according to whether they require a power source connection or not; labeled as active or passive, such devices are influenced by unstable humidity levels in the house areas where they are used. Therefore, before using any radon test kits, make sure that the place where you install them is outside the reach of children and dry enough to ensure correct test results. In case the basement area that requires radon testing is too humid, you may have to ask for the advice of a professional team in order to make the correct decision and choice in terms of radon mitigation procedures.