What Is Radon?
According to the American Lung Association Radon is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas that causes lung cancer. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking. Radon-related lung cancers result in an estimated 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.
Thousands of homes, buildings and schools nationwide have elevated radon levels, needlessly exposing hundreds of thousands of people to this serious health risk.
Lung Cancer Risk
The lung cancer risk increases 16% for every 3 pCi/L of increase in your long-term average Radon concentration
All types of houses can have high indoor radon. Old or new homes without basements, drafty or well insulated homes too. The only way to know is to test.
Regular exposure to only 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of Radon is comparable in risk to smoking 8 cigarettes per day or getting 200 chest x-rays per year.
According to the CDC, the risk to children exposed to Radon may be almost twice as high as the risk to adults exposed to the same amount of Radon.
Indoor Radon levels fluctuate throughout the day and week to week, month to month. Continuous, real-time indoor air quality monitoring is the most comprehensive Radon measurement methodology.
How Does Radon Enter Your Home or Building?
Radon forms naturally. Uranium in soil or rock breaks down to form radium, which then turns into radon gas. Once formed, radon enters a building through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings. As radon decays, it releases radioactive byproducts that are inhaled and can cause lung cancer. Because radon comes from rock and soil, it can be found anywhere. Being exposed to limited amounts, like those found outdoors, is impossible to avoid. However, when radon gets trapped indoors, it may exist in dangerous at dangerous amounts.
Less often, radon may enter buildings from water used in bathroom showers and faucets. Concerns have also been raised about the radon released indoors from building materials, such as granite counter tops or tiles. However, these sources have rarely proven to be a problem.
Whar Are The Health Effects of Radon?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, responsible for thousands of deaths each year. Exposure to radon causes no immediate symptoms, but the long-term threat of lung cancer is important to everyone. People who have never smoked make up one out of 7 radon-related lung cancer deaths each year.
The health hazard comes from radioactive particles released when radon decays. These particles can be inhaled into the lung and attack your cells with dangerous, cancer-causing radiation. Smoking and radon exposure can separately increase the risk of lung cancer. But if you smoke, know that exposure to both greatly enhances the risk of lung cancer.
Who Should Be Worried About Radon?
Every home and building should be tested for radon. Radon has been found in high amounts in homes in every state. Your home can have elevated levels of radon while your neighbor's home does not. Testing is the only way to know if radon is a problem in your home. Radon testing is easy and low cost, and it could save your life. Thousands of lung cancer deaths could be avoided each year if home and building owners acted to test and fix.
How Can Radon Be Measured?
The only way to detect a buildup of radon in your home or building is to measure the air. If you prefer, you can hire one of our RESET Accredited Professionals to place continuous, real-time indoor air quality monitors inside the property for 30-days to measure the levels of Radon within your home or building.
What Do My Radon Measurements Mean?
Radon gas is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air. The EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon if the result is 4.0 pCi/L or greater and to consider similar actions when the radon level is between 2 and 4.0 pCi/L. The goal is to get your radon level to the lowest level possible.
How Can I Protect Against Radon?
There are several ways to protect you, your family and coworkers from the dangers of radon gas. If you have an existing home with elevated levels of radon, you can fix the problem by having a radon mitigation system installed. A radon mitigation system consists of a vent pipe, fan and the sealing of cracks in in the baseline floor and foundation. This system collects radon gas from underneath the foundation and vents it to the outside of your home. If you need to have a radon mitigation system installed, it is best to hire a certified radon mitigation professional. Contact your state radon program for a list of certified radon mitigation professionals.
If you are building a new home, ask your contractor to install radon-resistant features. These features include gravel and plastic sheeting below the foundation, sealing of cracks and the installation of a vent pipe. Once the radon-resistant features have been installed and the home is completely built, make sure to measure for radon, as the levels could still be elevated. If the radon levels are still elevated, a radon fan should be added to the system to lower the radon level. Radon levels change seasonally. That's why we recommend continuous, real-time indoor air quality monitoring before, during and after radon mitigation.
