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What is a "short-term test"?
The EPA recommends that the radon level in all homes be measured to determine the need for action should high levels be discovered. The measurement should be taken, according to the EPA, by means of a short-term test placed in the lowest lived-in level of the home. Should the result of the test reveal low levels of radon, there is no need for immediate follow-up, but the homeowner should be made aware of the fact that radon levels change over time. Another test should be performed in the future, and/or if currently unused portions of the lower level become occupied.
The reason short-term testing is used initially is to more quickly determine the presence of high levels of radon and begin the needed mitigation steps.