Question: As a homeowner, how often should I get my home inspected for mold, radon, etc?

Answer: In terms of real estate, the best way to prevent mold is to assure that there are no damp or wet areas within the home. However, even if your house has desert-like conditions be aware that all homes have mold. There are no exceptions. The Environmental Protection Agency has it right when it says that "it is impossible to get rid of all mold and mold spores indoors; some mold spores will be found floating through the air and in house dust."

As the New York Times has reported, experts have found that while "mold and indoor dampness were associated with respiratory problems and symptoms of asthma in certain susceptible people, they found no evidence of a link between mold and conditions like brain or neurological damage, reproductive problems and cancer. They based their conclusions on a review of hundreds of scientific papers and reports but warned that the research was limited and that more studies were needed." (See: Panel Finds Mold in Buildings Is No Threat to Most People, May 26, 2004)

Rather than getting a home inspected, individuals are probably best served by a complete medical evaluation to see if mold is an issue at all.

As to radon, there has been a considerable effort by the radon-industrial complex to create vast worries regarding an invisible, odorless gas that's created by natural decay in the ground. Unless you're a chain smoking uranium miner who lives in a basement with closed windows, concerns about radon are likely to be overblown.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has reported that "to date, studies of lung cancer risks from indoor radon exposures are inconclusive, and thus it is only possible at this time to estimate residential risks from miner studies.

"Cigarettes," says NCI, "remain the overwhelming cause of lung cancer among miners and the general population. It is noteworthy that a dramatic reduction of radon-induced lung cancers would occur if people stopped smoking."

If you do elect to get radon testing, make certain that the party who conducts the tests does not also offer mitigation services. The potential for conflict is obvious.

For background -- and to see how radon was promoted into an official concern with lots of money at stake -- please see Leonard Cole's book, Element of Risk, The Politics of Radon.