Locations and reports
Radon Levels in Esmeralda County, Nevada
What this means for you
- Your area: EPA rates Esmeralda County Zone 2, the middle of its three radon zones. That is a prediction for the whole county, and homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones.
- Local tests: CDC has published no radon test results for Esmeralda County.
- Your home: The only way to know your home’s level is to test it.
pCi/L (picocuries per liter) is the unit radon is measured in. EPA recommends fixing a home at 4 pCi/L or above, its action level.
EPA's Map of Radon Zones places Esmeralda County, Nevada in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, a prediction for the whole county. Radon levels vary from home to home, so only a test measures the level in yours.
Predicted: EPA radon zone
EPA Zone 2: moderate predicted potential
EPA predicts an average indoor of 2 to 4 pCi/L (75 to 150 Bq/m³) across the county as a whole.
This is a county-level geologic prediction. It is not a measurement of any address, and houses with elevated radon are found in all three zones.
USGS geologic potential: Moderate across 87% of the county's land area
Predicted: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Measured: tests reported to CDC
CDC has published no radon test figures for Esmeralda County. Only a test tells you the level in a home.
Esmeralda County, In figures
Esmeralda County in figures
What the published data says about Esmeralda County, in words. A zone and a share of tests describe an area, never the level in any one home.
Predicted
PredictedEPA places Esmeralda County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, as it does 6 other counties of Nevada's 17.
Of the 4 bordering counties, EPA places Mineral County in Zone 1 and Inyo County, Mono County and Nye County in Zone 2.
Reported tests and local record
CDC has no annual testing figure for Esmeralda County on file here.
Nevada's radon program is the Nevada Radon Education Program, run by University Of Nevada, Reno; its contacts are under Local resources.
Esmeralda County, State data
Nevada's own radon test data
MeasuredWhat Nevada's own agencies publish about radon tests in Esmeralda County, with their period. These are not CDC's figures and are never added to them.
What the Nevada Radon Education Program reports for the ZIP codes in Esmeralda County
The Nevada Radon Education Program publishes its figures by ZIP code, not by county. These are the 2 ZIP codes that lie wholly or partly in Esmeralda County, each with the state's own figures for it. Period: 1989-2015.
| ZIP code | What the state reports |
|---|---|
| 89047 | average 1.3 pCi/L |
| 89049 | average 2.3 pCi/L |
- NBMG says the results are based on independently tested homes, not scientific sampling.
- The service publishes an average for each ZIP code but no count of tests.
- Site specific testing is the only way to determine local radon concentrations.
- A ZIP code that crosses the county line is listed whole; its figures cover all of it.
Measured: Nevada Radon Education Program data, 1989-2015.
Esmeralda County, Bordering counties
Counties bordering Esmeralda County
Calculated by Radon4114 counties share a boundary with Esmeralda County, computed from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county’s report can be worth reading alongside this one.
Esmeralda County, Local resources
Local resources in Nevada
Who to ask in Nevada: the state's radon program, test kits and professionals.
Nevada Radon Education Program
University Of Nevada, Reno
Nevada’s radon program answers questions about testing, mitigation and the rules where you live.
- chrisk@unr.edu
Test kits
The program says: The program offers literature, maps, educational presentations and low-cost radon test kits.
Radon professionals
No professionals are listed in Nevada yet. The state program can point you to registered testers and mitigators.
See the Nevada directoryEsmeralda County, Questions
Questions about radon in Esmeralda County
Common questions8 questions, answered from the figures above
Are radon levels high in Esmeralda County?
No CDC testing statistics are published here for Esmeralda County, Nevada yet. EPA places Esmeralda County in Zone 2, moderate predicted potential, a predicted average indoor screening level 2 to 4 pCi/L. Homes with elevated levels occur in all three zones, so the figures describe the area, not your house. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building.
How do I get a radon test in Esmeralda County?
EPA says you can test your home yourself or hire a qualified radon test company, and that either approach takes only a small amount of time and effort. No certified tester listed on Radon411 names Esmeralda County as a service area yet. The Nevada radon program is the place to ask about certified testers and any test kit offer it runs.
How to test a homeTest kits comparedFree and low-cost kits by stateNevada radon program
Who does radon mitigation in Esmeralda County?
Radon411 has no certified mitigators listed for Nevada yet. EPA recommends having a qualified contractor fix a home with a radon problem, because lowering high radon levels takes technical knowledge and special skills, and some states require the work to be done by a licensed or certified professional. Your state radon program is the place to check whether Nevada requires one.
How radon mitigation worksWhat mitigation costsNevada radon program
What EPA radon zone is Esmeralda County in?
EPA places Esmeralda County, Nevada in Zone 2, which EPA describes as moderate predicted potential for the area. A zone is a prediction for the whole county and never determines whether a particular home should be tested. EPA recommends testing every home regardless of zone.
Should I test my home in Esmeralda County?
Yes. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. How to test a home.
When is the best time of year to test?
EPA says short-term tests stay in the home from 2 to 90 days and that all radon tests should run a minimum of 48 hours; long-term tests stay more than 90 days. EPA's guides do not name a best season: they say radon levels tend to vary from day to day and season to season, so a long-term test is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the year-round average.
What does it cost to test?
EPA's Citizen's Guide calls testing easy and inexpensive, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says passive short-term and long-term devices are generally inexpensive, while active devices may cost more. No national average price is published for this, so Radon411 does not give one. What testing costs.
Which counties border Esmeralda County?
Esmeralda County borders 4 counties, derived from Census county geometry. Radon potential follows geology rather than county lines, so a bordering county's report can be relevant.
What these figures mean if you own, buy, sell or rent
The EPA zone on this page describes Esmeralda County as a whole. It is a prediction for an area, and it does not measure your building.
- How to test a home
If you own your home
Test the lowest lived-in level; a short-term kit screens in days, a long-term kit reflects the year.
- Buying a house: radon guide
If you are buying
Ask for past results and any system's post-mitigation test, and test during the sale.
- Selling a house: radon guide
If you are selling
Testing before you list puts the timing in your hands; disclosure rules differ by state.
- Radon in rental homes
If you rent, or rent out a home
A tenant can test; a fix is the owner's to make, and duties differ by state.
How long a test has to run, under what conditions, and what EPA says a result means: the testing standard, in full.
Esmeralda County, Products
Testing and mitigation products
Whatever the figures for Esmeralda County show, only a test tells you about one home.
Testing
- Short-term test kitsPassive detectors exposed for a few days under closed-building conditions, then analyzed by a lab.
- Long-term test kitsDetectors exposed for more than 90 days, for a closer picture of the annual average.
- Continuous monitorsPowered devices that log radon on a repeating cycle, often used for transaction tests.
- Digital detectorsConsumer devices that display a running radon reading without a lab.
- Water radon testsKits for radon dissolved in well water, analyzed by a lab.
Mitigation
- Mitigation fansThe inline fan that keeps a soil depressurization system running, sized by the installer.
- System indicatorsU-tube manometers and fan alarms that show whether a mitigation system is still working.
- Sealing materialsCrack, joint and sump sealing used alongside a mitigation system, not instead of one.
Esmeralda County / Next steps
What to do next
Learn
Know what radon is
What radon is, how it gets indoors, and why a county zone is not a reading for your home.
Learn about radonTest
Test the building you live in
Short-term or long-term, where the device goes, and closed-house conditions.
How to testFix
Bring a high level down
How a mitigation system works, and the retest that confirms it.
How mitigation worksFind a pro
Hire a certified professional
Measurement and mitigation professionals by state, with their certifications.
Find a professional
Informational. Follow EPA guidance. EPA says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours, with windows and doors closed from 12 hours before a short-term test.