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.
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.
| 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% |
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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