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
Utah County Radon Levels
Davis County Radon Levels
City
County
% of Homes at 2.7+ pCi/L
Alpine
Utah
84%
American Fork
Utah
73%
Bluffdale
Salt Lake
61%
Bountiful
Davis
70%
Cedar Hills
Utah
66%
Centerville
Davis
73%
Clinton
Davis
19%
Cottonwood Heights
Salt Lake
55%
Draper
Salt Lake
58%
Eagle Mountain
Utah
58%
Farmington
Davis
58%
Grantsville
Tooele
83%
Heber
Wasatch
89%
Herriman
Salt Lake
65%
Highland
Utah
88%
Holladay
Salt Lake
65%
Kaysville
Davis
54%
Kearns
Salt Lake
31%
Layton
Davis
43%
Lehi
Utah
62%
Magna
Salt Lake
63%
Midvale
Salt Lake
63%
Midway
Wasatch
91%
Millcreek
Salt Lake
70%
Murray
Salt Lake
46%
North Ogden
Weber
80%
North Salt Lake
Davis
31%
Ogden
Weber
59%
Orem
Utah
55%
Park City
Summit
76%
Pleasant Grove
Utah
77%
Provo
Utah
62%
Riverton
Salt Lake
71%
Roy
Weber
8%
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake
52%
Sandy
Salt Lake
64%
Santaquin
Utah
65%
Saratoga Springs
Utah
67%
South Jordan
Salt Lake
66%
Spanish Fork
Utah
48%
Springville
Utah
61%
Stansbury Park
Tooele
77%
Syracuse
Davis
27%
Taylorsville
Salt Lake
50%
Tooele
Tooele
63%
West Jordan
Salt Lake
61%
West Valley
Salt Lake
45%
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.
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