Radon & mold in Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County is EPA radon Zone 1, the highest-potential category. What that means for homes in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville, plus local survey data and how to test.
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Is radon a problem in Rutherford County?
It can be. EPA rates Rutherford County Zone 1, its highest radon category, meaning a predicted average indoor level above 4 pCi/L. In a late-1980s state screening survey, 17% of the county homes measured were above that level. The only way to know about your home in Murfreesboro, Smyrna or elsewhere is to test it.
Rutherford County at a glance
Zone: EPA data file, EPA Tennessee map. County facts: Tennessee Encyclopedia: Rutherford County.
Besides Murfreesboro, Rutherford County's incorporated towns are Smyrna, La Vergne and Eagleville. The county was created in 1803 and is crossed by the Stones River, a major tributary of the Cumberland.[TN Encyclopedia]
Why is Rutherford County Zone 1?
Rutherford is one of 39 Tennessee counties EPA rates Zone 1, the highest of its three radon categories.[EPA] The USGS assessment behind the map rates Middle Tennessee's Nashville Basin as high radon potential, pointing to elevated uranium readings, abundant phosphate-rich soils, local karst (cave-and-sinkhole terrain) and well-drained soils.[USGS] One of the limestone layers described in that report even carries the county seat's name: the Murfreesboro Limestone.
What did local radon surveys find?
In the late 1980s, Tennessee's health department and EPA ran a statewide screening survey, placing short-term charcoal tests in the lowest level of homes. The USGS published the county results in its 1993 Tennessee radon assessment:[USGS]
| Rutherford County (screening survey) | Result |
|---|---|
| Homes measured | 23 |
| Average (mean) | 3.1 pCi/L |
| Median | 1.6 pCi/L |
| Highest reading | 17.5 pCi/L |
| Share above 4 pCi/L | 17% |
Source: USGS Open-File Report 93-292-D, Tennessee chapter (1993), Table 1 (screening data from the EPA/State Residential Radon Survey of Tennessee).
It's a small, decades-old sample, and USGS cautions that such surveys mostly reflect homes in a few population centers, so don't lean on the exact numbers. The takeaway is simple: homes over the action level were found here, and the only way to know about yours is to test.
How do I test a home in Rutherford County?
- Order the free state kit from the Tennessee Radon Program (one per household; call 1-800-232-1139).[TDEC]
- Place it in the lowest lived-in level and keep windows and outside doors closed for the test.[EPA] Full steps: radon testing guide.
- At 4 pCi/L or higher, plan a fix; consider one between 2 and 4 pCi/L.[EPA] Typical prices are in the cost guide.
What about mold in Rutherford County?
Mold follows water anywhere in the state. EPA's rules of thumb: dry wet materials within 24–48 hours, keep indoor humidity under 60%, and get professional help when growth covers more than about 10 square feet.[EPA] See our mold testing guide.