Radon
Information and resources from the New Hampshire Radon Program
The mission of the New Hampshire Radon Program is to help all people in New Hampshire understand the health impacts of radon. It doesn’t matter if your house is old or new or where it is located. Testing for radon is the only way of knowing whether it is present in your home. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It has no smell, color or taste, and is produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rocks and soil. Radon can also be found in water.
New Hampshire is well known as the “Granite State”. This granite, in addition to our soil, contains small amounts of uranium. The uranium naturally breaks down and forms radon gas that we can breathe. Unfortunately, radon has no color, taste or smell to let you know you are breathing it. The only way to know if you have radon in your home is to test for it. As radon is a gas it can enter your home, school or work place and become part of the air we breathe.
There is more than one way radon can enter into your home, school or workplace. It can enter through the foundation, or for those with private wells, through sinks, showers, and toilets.
Breathing radon gas can harm your lungs. Over a long period of time, this will raise the risk of lung cancer. It is important to remember that there is no safe level of radon but there is a way to reduce radon in your home.
Testing for radon is the only way to know if it is present in your home.
The NH Radon Program provides free radon test kits to NH residents.
General Resources
