[Strawbale] Radiating earth

[Derek Roff]

Someone asked me off-list how you test for radon.  Testing must be done in a laboratory with very specialized equipment.  Of course, collecting the test sample is done at your building site.  I live in the United States, and here, there are two or three types of kits that you can buy, or sometimes get free from a government agency.  The kit is the sample collection part of the testing process, and all the ones that I know of contain a prepaid mailer and the provision for analysis work by a testing lab.  The testing kits have varying instructions, but basically, a special container is located in a specific location for a few days, weeks, or months, and then sent to the lab.  The lab is able to test the container, and analyze how much radon is produced at that building location.  The longer tests are more accurate and cost more.  I just checked online, and a simple test kit is listed at $8, including the lab work.  I think $20-$50 is more common.  

Check with some local agency concerned with environmental health in your region, and they can probably tell you how to choose the best test kit/lab for your area. Or you may be able to find them with an online vendor search.  It would be very useful if list members from a few countries could post something about the source and cost for radon test kits in your region.  

Best wishes,
Derek

Derek Roff
derek at unm.edu




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