Radon Levels in Utah

The average Utah home already exceeds the EPA’s radon action level. With a state average of 5.3 pCi/L, Utah ranks among the highest-risk states in the country — yet most homeowners have never tested.

Radon is invisible, odorless, and builds up silently inside homes across Salt Lake City, Davis County, Utah County, and communities statewide. Understanding what your test results mean and when to take action could be one of the most important things you do for your family’s health. Contact us today.

Over 1 in 3 Homes in Utah Has a Radon Problem

Radon is colorless, odorless, and completely undetectable without a test. It seeps silently through foundation cracks and builds up indoors over time. Utah’s state average of 5.3 pCi/L is already above the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L, and roughly 1 in 3 Utah homes test above that threshold. New data from Alpha Energy Laboratories shows that 48.3% of Utah homes tested between 2015 and 2025 had radon levels high enough to warrant a mitigation system. Many Utah families live with elevated levels for years without knowing it, since exposure occurs primarily indoors. Installing a mitigation system is the most effective way to protect your household from this long-term health risk.   https://www.ksl.com/article/51442129/utah-families-face-a-growing-radon-risk

Long-term exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause in non-smokers. The only way to know if your family is at risk is to test.

How Radon Is Measured

Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter of air, written as pCi/L. A picocurie is a unit of radioactivity. The higher the number, the greater the concentration of radon decay products in the air inside your home.

The EPA and the World Health Organization both publish action thresholds based on this measurement. Understanding both helps you make a well-informed decision about your home.

EPA vs. WHO Radon Action Levels

Both agencies agree that no level of radon exposure is completely safe. Their thresholds reflect what is achievable through mitigation in most homes. If your home is testing at a level of 4 or higher you should heavily consider a radon mitigation system. If you test is between levels 2-4, it is highly recommended.

Outdoor average: 0.4 pCi/L
The EPA estimates the national outdoor average is approximately 0.4 pCi/L. The goal of mitigation is to bring indoor levels as close as realistically possible to outdoor levels.

Why Utah Is at Higher Risk

Utah’s elevated radon problem is not caused by a single factor. It is the result of geology, elevation, climate, and building practices compounding each other.

Geology of the Wasatch Front

The soils and rock formations along the Wasatch Front contain naturally elevated concentrations of uranium and radium, the parent materials that decay into radon gas. As radon migrates upward from these deposits, it enters homes through foundation cracks, utility penetrations, and soil contact points.

Cold Climate and Tight Insulation

Cold temperatures force homes to run the furnace circulating more warm air, causing what is known as a "Stack Effect" (warm air gets pushed upward out of the home as cold air is pulled in around the foundation where radon gas collects). The result of this stack effect is drawing in more air (thus more radon gas) from small cracks and openings in the foundation into the basement and the rest of the home.

As the temperatures drop and cold air settles outside of your home, it actually increases the natural draw your home puts on the soil as the warm air is pushed up increasing the potential deadly radon gas into the home through what is called vacuum pressure.

Fun Fact

Often we may feel that newer homes with energy efficient windows, better insulated walls, better attic insulation etc. prevent radon form entering the home. This is not the case – the stack effect and air pressure differences created from the home draws in more radon gas – sometimes even more than older homes.

Radon gas is present in all homes regardless of age, quality, and dwelling size, the question is how much. Hundreds of tests have proven that radon concentrations increase in the winter months largely due to the facts stated above. With the increased radon levels in homes, our families are put in additional danger due to spending more time indoors and less time outdoors; windows are shut, and more time is spent in the basement.