Get matched with top radon detection and reduction specialists in Parker, AZ

The short answer is no, air purifiers do not help with radon. While they certainly can improve the air quality of your home, they only clean pollutants from the air. Radon is radioactive, and it isn’t affected by the same filtration systems that handle other airborne particles, like dust and mold. The only thing that works is a radon mitigation system.

Professional radon detection involves placing test kits in the lowest lived-in level of the house for a period, usually 48 hours to several months, followed by lab analysis of collected data.

The only way to determine if you have a radon problem in your home is to have professional testing done. You can buy DIY radon test kits, but these are sometimes inaccurate in certain temperatures and humidity levels, and they don’t paint the entire picture in terms of your radon exposure. Scheduling testing once every two to five years is best. You can also look out for the following symptoms, which, according to the American Cancer Society, are symptoms of radon exposure:

• Shortness of breath

• Cough

• Tightness in the chest

• Difficulty swallowing

• Hoarseness

No level of radon is technically safe, but because it’s everywhere—even in the air outside—it’s impossible to avoid entirely. Instead, the Environmental Protection Agency encourages taking preventative measures if the levels of radon in your home rise above 2 pCi/L. (For reference, the average radon level in homes across the United States is 1.3 pCi/L.