The study — "Radiation Bystander Effects" by Columbia's Center for Radiological Research, if you're interested — adds to an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the usual ways we measure cancer risk from low-dose radiation, such household radon gas in homes, needs rethinking. This is especially acute in the Northeast, where radon levels trend higher than the Environmental Protection Agency limit. (Radon comes from the natural disintegration of the radioactive heavy metals uranium and thorium, which are dispersed throughout the Earth's crust, and can seep into almost any home through a multitude of natural processes.) While the RadStar RS300 runs $849 from one typical online retailer, the pithily named Professional Equipment, that's lower than such monitors usually run, and way less than it costs to have environmental technicians come in to do a sweep.

The RS300, which continuously measures for radon in a wide range of temperatures and humidity, is designed for layperson use, and has no moving parts such as pumps or filters that need to be maintained or replaced. It comes bundled with a CD that allows it to interface with your computer, and has its own serial port for onsite printing. Battery-powered, so as to avoid power surges or fluctuations, it provides both hourly and average readings.

If you do find high amounts of radon gas in your building, then there's a whole concrete-and-sealant thing you'd need to do to block the radioactive seepage. And if there's any ickier a term than "radioactive seepage," we don't wanna know.

AccuStar Labs • 11 Awl Street, Medway, Mass. 02053 • (508) 533-8812 • toll-free (888) 480-8812 • info@accustarlabs.com

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