utah-radon-services-logo

Radon Risk Across Utah: What You Need To Know

Utah Radon Services
January 3, 2023
< 3 min read
Share:
Salt Lake County Radon Levels

Utah is home to towering mountains, stunning lakes and rivers, and, unfortunately, high levels of life-threatening radon gas.

Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas, and exposure to radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. According to Dr. Shamus Carr, former Co-Director of Thoracic Oncology at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, nearly every basement in Utah contains radon gas, thanks to our state’s geology and airtight homes. 

Whether your home has a basement or not, radon can still enter through the foundation. Because radon can’t be detected by our senses alone (you must use a radon test kit), thousands of Utahns have died as a result of radon exposure and the lung-related illnesses, like lung cancer, that come from prolonged exposure.

We would not let our children smoke, but the consequences are similar if we do not increase awareness and testing of radon. - Dr. Wallace Akerly, Huntsman Cancer Institute

Dr. Wallace Akerly, Director of the Lung Cancer Disease Center of Excellence at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, drives the urgency to test for radon even further. “We would not let our children smoke, but the consequences are similar if we do not increase awareness and testing of radon,” shares Akerly. “Countless never-smokers and smokers have died from radon-induced lung cancer. The greatest tragedy is that radon exposure can be limited, and these deaths could have been prevented.

At Utah Radon Services, we aim to educate Utahns about this ever-present threat so they can test their homes, mitigate it if necessary, and, most importantly, save lives. 

Radon Levels in Utah

1 in 3 Utah houses has dangerously-high levels of radon, and just because a neighbor’s home tested low does not mean your home will. We’ve compiled the average radon level in dozens of cities across the state so you can be aware of the risk your home may have for you and your loved ones. However, even if your city has a low average radon level, no radon exposure is considered “safe,” and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that every home tests for radon every two years.

The Surgeon General recommends that all homes get tested for radon. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Radon is measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L). While technically no radon exposure is completely safe, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends installing a mitigation system if a home tests at 2.7 pCi/L or higher. Below you can find the percentage of homes tested by Utah Radon Services at or above 2.7 pCi/L.

Salt Lake County Radon Levels

Salt Lake County Radon Levels

Utah County Radon Levels

Utah County Radon Levels

Davis County Radon Levels

Davis County Radon Levels

CityCounty% of Homes at 2.7+ pCi/L
AlpineUtah84%
American ForkUtah73%
BluffdaleSalt Lake61%
BountifulDavis70%
Cedar HillsUtah66%
CentervilleDavis73%
ClintonDavis19%
Cottonwood HeightsSalt Lake55%
DraperSalt Lake58%
Eagle MountainUtah58%
FarmingtonDavis58%
GrantsvilleTooele83%
HeberWasatch89%
HerrimanSalt Lake65%
HighlandUtah88%
HolladaySalt Lake65%
KaysvilleDavis54%
KearnsSalt Lake31%
LaytonDavis43%
LehiUtah62%
MagnaSalt Lake63%
MidvaleSalt Lake63%
MidwayWasatch91%
MillcreekSalt Lake70%
MurraySalt Lake46%
North OgdenWeber80%
North Salt LakeDavis31%
OgdenWeber59%
OremUtah55%
Park CitySummit76%
Pleasant GroveUtah77%
ProvoUtah62%
RivertonSalt Lake71%
RoyWeber8%
Salt Lake CitySalt Lake52%
SandySalt Lake64%
SantaquinUtah65%
Saratoga SpringsUtah67%
South JordanSalt Lake66%
Spanish ForkUtah48%
SpringvilleUtah61%
Stansbury ParkTooele77%
SyracuseDavis27%
TaylorsvilleSalt Lake50%
TooeleTooele63%
West JordanSalt Lake61%
West ValleySalt Lake45%

What You Can Do About Radon

The first step to protect yourself from radon exposure is to test your home with a simple, free test from Utah Radon Services. If your home tests high, Utah Radon Services can walk you through the process of mitigating your home, so it comes back down to a safer level.

The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test your home. - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Radon is dangerous, but steps can be taken to make your home safe again. 

Additional Sources

Radon and Cancer

Utah Department of Environmental Quality Radon Program

Related posts

Radon and Crawl Spaces

Radon is a radioactive gas that rises into homes from uranium in the soil underneath the building. This gas can pass through a home’s foundation and may lead to lung diseases, including lung cancer, for those inside.  Although it can pass through the foundation, the cement and other materials still slow radon entry into the […]

Read more
How Do I Protect Myself from Radon Gas?

Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas created when uranium breaks down in soil and rocks. It enters homes through cracks and pores in the foundation and construction joints, and long-term exposure can lead to lung cancer. In fact, radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States! With such […]

Read more
What Are the Signs of Radon Poisoning?

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas created when uranium in soil decays. Uranium is found in varying levels in soil and rock worldwide but is present in high concentrations in Utah. As it decays, radon rises from the ground and into homes where it is inhaled and can cause lung cancer. In fact, one […]

Read more
Utah Radon Services
About
BlogFAQ
Contact us
12393 S Gateway Park Place, STE E300
Draper, Utah 84020
Mon-Fri 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Copyright 2023 - All rights reserved. Utah Radon Services
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram