Radon
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. For children, radon and second-hand smoke are the biggest risks for developing lung cancer later in life. Unless you test with a radon test kit, you can't tell whether your home has radon, because radon is a gas that has no smell, no color, and can't be seen. Radon is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas in the earth that can enter into lower level rooms of your home, like a basement. The longer you and your family are exposed to radon, the greater risk you have of developing lung cancer.
Resources available through the links below provide more information about radon health risks and means to find test kits or measurement and mitigation professionals.
- Environmental Protection Agency - Radon
- Maryland Department of Health Radon Website
- Maryland Department of the Environment Radon Website
Test Your Home For Radon Exposure
Take a look at the information from the Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Radon testing is simple and has a simple solution. Find out more by going to Test Your Home for Radon Exposure.
Radon Tests
The Maryland Department of Health & Maryland Department of the Environment are partnering to bring $3 Radon Test Kits to you. Go to Maryland Department of Health $3 Discounted Radon Test Kit Offer to order your kit today! You must be a resident of Maryland to order.
Mitigation
Go to the following to find a National Radon Safety Board (NRSB) Radon Certified Professional.
Radon Exposure in Your Home... What's Your Risk?
Visit this Maryland Department of the Environment page to learn more about radon and radon exposure in your home. Go to Radon Exposure in Your Home... What's Your Risk?
Additional Radon Information for Real Estate Agents/Brokers
Maryland Enacted Radon Legislation
Maryland Public Safety Code §§ 12-503—504: Directs the state Department of Housing and Community Development to adopt Maryland Building Performance Standards, which apply throughout the state and are enforced at the local level, with local jurisdictions retaining authority to adopt local amendments to modify the Standards. Directs the Department to incorporate the International Building Code into the Standards, with modifications as determined by the Department. Local jurisdictions must implement the state Standards and any local amendments within six months of the effective date. Department regulations (Md. Admin. Code 05.02.07.04) incorporate the 2015 International Residential Code, including the radon resistant new construction standard of IRC Appendix F, applicable to Zone 1 (high radon potential) counties.
Maryland Real Property Code § 10-702: Requires that sellers of residential properties with four or fewer single-family units provide buyers with a disclaimer or disclosure form. Disclaimer includes any known latent defects that would pose a direct threat to health or safety, and that would not be apparent by a careful visual inspection. Disclosure includes actual knowledge of hazardous or regulated materials including asbestos, lead based paint, and radon, and whether a carbon monoxide alarm is installed on the property.
Maryland Real Property Code §§ 10-603—604: Requires home builders to complete a disclaimer or a disclosure regarding environmental hazards present on the home site, including radon, asbestos, lead-based paint, and methane.