The Reality of Radon

Like most people, I was not an expert when it came to Radon – even as a home inspector. That is until about 3 years ago when I came across a situation involving a person with a lot of health issues.

Here is the definition of Radon from the CDC website: Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rock, soil, and water. Radon can get into homes and buildings through small cracks or holes and build up in the air. Over time, breathing in high levels of Radon can cause lung cancer.

www.cdc.gov > radon

According to both the EPA and the American Lung Association, radon is the 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon accounts for approximately 21,000 deaths a year – 2,900 of the deaths occur among people who have never smoked.

www.epa.gov > radon
www.lung.org > at-home

Radon is produced by the radioactive decay of radium-226, which is found in uranium ores, phosphate rock, shales, igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granite, gneiss, and schist, and to a lesser degree, in common rocks such as limestone.

And of course, New Hampshire is the Granite State. So yay for the residents of New Hampshire, we have some of the highest levels of Radon in the entire country.

So as I mentioned, there’s a story: As we often do as home inspectors, I travelled down to a home 2 days ahead of the inspection to set a Radon air test and take a water test.

The home was a 2 year old home, with the original occupant living in the home. I set the Radon air test in the basement and proceeded to prep for the water test. While I was taking the water test, I chatted briefly with the homeowner.

He proceeded to tell me a sad story of how his health problems had curtailed his life. He used to run a car dealership with 20+ employees. But everything in his life had spiraled downhill over the last two years. He was suffering from COPD and asthma, and was recently diagnosed with leukemia. His health problems forced him to give up his job. He was going to move himself into an assisted living facility, since he was finding it extremely difficult to get along on his own. And all since he moved into the home 2 years ago after the construction was completed.

Well I told him how sorry I was for all of his health problems, took my water test, and I wished him well.

2 days later, I performed the home inspection, and picked up the Radon air test and brought it to the lab.

Initially, because I was busy with other home inspections, I didn’t get a chance to look at the lab results.

But the day after the inspection, I received a phone call from a representative from the New Hampshire DHHS office. He was inquiring about the Radon air test that I conducted at the property that I had just inspected. He wanted verification on the Radon levels that I recorded. I admitted that I hadn’t yet looked at the results. Well he proceeded to tell me what the results were:

129 pCi/L air (4.0 is the accepted level in New Hampshire).

11,900 pCi/L (above 2000 pCi/L if Radon in Air levels exceed 4 pCi/L is the level for the water).

He indicated that the highest recorded Radon air level in the state was 138 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air). So he was looking for verification of the levels that I recorded. He wanted to know what test parameters I followed. I explained that I adhered to all the recommended test parameters. That’s all I could say.

But after that conversation, I began to think of the gentleman living in the house. No wonder he had so many health issues. He was getting blasted from both the air and the water in the home!

That inspection solidified for me why it’s essential to test for Radon – both in the air and in the water.

We offer Radon Air and Full Water Testing – including testing for Radon and Uranium.

Michael McCarty
NH Licensed Home Inspector # 316
Vermont Property Inspector License # 143.0134099
HUD 203k Consultant # P-1939

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  • Cathy Cooper
    5/16/2025
    From the moment I reached out to schedule my inspection I was impressed. I received a return call within 24 hours and was able to have my inspection next day due to cancellations caused by weather. Mike was prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful.He took the time to explain his process and answered all my questions with patience and clarity. It was evident he had a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field.The inspection report was detailed and easy to understand.Overall, I couldn't be more satisfied with the service I received. The professionalism, expertise, and customer care demonstrated exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend their services to anyone in need of a thorough and reliable home inspection.
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  • Dalton Bechard
    5/15/2025
    John was immensely helpful, educational, and thorough. Giving us answers for every question we had, plus he went through all the basic functions of the house he was inspecting so we would know how to properly use the appliances and things like the water heater and furnace. On top of that he was punctual and thorough pointing out the most minute issues and helping us be aware of why they’re a problem. We will likely never use a different inspecting company as this was such an outstanding job.
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  • Dalton Bechard
    5/15/2025
    John was immensely helpful, educational, and thorough. Giving us answers for every question we had, plus he went through all the basic functions of the house he was inspecting so we would know how to properly use the appliances and things like the water heater and furnace. On top of that he was punctual and thorough pointing out the most minute issues and helping us be aware of why they’re a problem. We will likely never use a different inspecting company as this was such an outstanding job.
    read more
  • Conor
    4/30/2025
    I cannot recommend Mike McCarty high enough! Thorough professional who explained everything in great detail and phenomenal customer service. If you want to make sure you are getting the best, Mike and First Choice are the ones you want!
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  • Conor
    4/30/2025
    I cannot recommend Mike McCarty high enough! Thorough professional who explained everything in great detail and phenomenal customer service. If you want to make sure you are getting the best, Mike and First Choice are the ones you want!
    read more
  • Erin Moylan
    4/09/2025
    Mike is very thorough and honest. When moving to another state, you really rely on word of mouth as to who you can trust. Our Realtor highly recommended Mike and she was spot-on. The first house he inspected for us fell through, so we called him for the second one! My fiancé really liked working with him during the inspections. Thank you MIKE!
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  • Erin Moylan
    4/09/2025
    Mike is very thorough and honest. When moving to another state, you really rely on word of mouth as to who you can trust. Our Realtor highly recommended Mike and she was spot-on. The first house he inspected for us fell through, so we called him for the second one! My fiancé really liked working with him during the inspections. Thank you MIKE!
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  • Lauren Priolo
    4/07/2025
    Highly recommend First Choice Home inspection! Mike was wonderful to work with, explained everything and was very thorough. He cleaned off snow from the roof and climbed up to evaluate the roof. In my experience, a lot of other home inspectors are not willing to go up on roofs. He found an issue with my well that would have been a costly repair for me post my home purchase. So I am very grateful that was found prior to closing.
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  • Lauren Priolo
    4/07/2025
    Highly recommend First Choice Home inspection! Mike was wonderful to work with, explained everything and was very thorough. He cleaned off snow from the roof and climbed up to evaluate the roof. In my experience, a lot of other home inspectors are not willing to go up on roofs. He found an issue with my well that would have been a costly repair for me post my home purchase. So I am very grateful that was found prior to closing.
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  • Grace Santoleri
    3/28/2025
    I could not be more happy with the service and level of detail these guys provided! They were so kind, answered all of my questions and did a very thorough job. 10/10 recommend!! These guys know what they are doing and I couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you Mike and John!!!
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