Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that forms naturally from the earth when uranium, thorium, or radium (all radioactive metals) break down in rocks, soil, and groundwater.  Radon can enter through cracks/gaps in buildings and homes, especially foundations and basements, which can expose inhabitants of some susceptible buildings to breathing air that contains radon.  For residences/buildings that have a radon concentration above 4 picocuries/liter (pCi/L), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends installing a radon mitigation system to remove as much of the radon gas from the affected area as possible, thus reducing the radon gas concentration in the affected building area(s) to safer levels.

There are no state or federal requirements for Rutgers University to test student housing for radon. However, REHS takes a pro-active approach and effort on the part of Rutgers University to test all university residences (e.g., campus houses, apartments, etc.) for radon concentrations on a regular basis.

If your residence at the university has a radon mitigation system, you may see pipes labeled “Radon mitigation system, do not remove” inside and outside the building (do not tamper with the pipes). The indoor pipes are connected to an outdoor fan which removes radon gas from below the surface of the building, therefore, reducing the radon gas concentrations to safer levels.  REHS checks the radon mitigation systems at university residences on a regular basis.
For more information on radon mitigation systems, contact REHS staff Patrick McDermott or Patti Bruno (see Contact section below).

For more information on radon, please visit the EPA’s website at: www.epa.gov/radon

Contact

For Radon Program Management:
Patti Bruno and Diana Smith
(848) 445-2550
radgroup@ipo.rutgers.edu