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Sources of Radon in the home
Radon gas can enter a home from the soil under the house through cracks in the
concrete slab, floors, or walls and through floor drains, sump pumps,
construction joints and cracks or pores in hollow-block walls. Normal pressure
differences between the house and the soil can create a slight vacuum in the
basement, which can draw radon from the soil into the building. The design,
construction and ventilation of the home can affect the radon levels of the
home.
Well water can be another source of indoor radon. Radon released by well water
during showering or other activities may release radon gas into the home. Radon
in water is a much smaller factor in radon exposure than radon in soil.
Radon exposure outdoors is much less of a risk than indoors because the radon is
diluted to low concentrations by the large volume of air.
How can I find the radon levels in my home?
When to Test -
The EPA recommends that all residences below the third floor level be tested for
radon. In addition, the EPA also recommends testing all rooms in contact with
the ground in schools. If you have tested your home, you should retest every two
years since radon levels can change with structural changes in the home. If you
decide to use a lower floor of your home, such as a basement, you should test
this level before occupancy. In addition, you should always test prior to the
purchase of a home.
Before you purchase
If you are thinking of buying a home, you should have a radon test done
before purchase. You may want to consider including provisions in the real
estate contract specifying details about the radon test. Make sure the test is
done in the lowest level of the home suitable for occupancy. In addition, we
recommend using a Professional Tester to administer your radon test, according
to EPA or
New York State
protocols.
If Unacceptable Levels of Radon are Found
If the amount of radon measured by our Professional Testers in your home
exceeds the EPA guidelines and
mitigation is necessary, our National Environmental Health Association (N.E.H.A.)
licensed associates at Advanced Radon
Solutions will bring their knowledge and experience to work to reduce the
levels of Radon in your home.
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Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas. You cannot see it, smell it or taste
it. Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and
water. High levels of radon have been found in every state in the US. One in
fifteen homes in the US has radon levels above 4pCi/L, the EPA action level.
Did you know?
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Nearly one in 15 homes in the US has a high level of indoor radon.
The US Surgeon General and EPA recommend all homes be tested for radon.
Homes with high radon levels can be fixed.
Health Effects of Radon
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has identified radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer
in the United States. Of the 155,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the United
States, about 12% are due to radon exposure. The remainder are due to smoking.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, radon is estimated to cause about
15,000 deaths per year, although the number could be as high as 22,000.
Many homes contain radon concentrations that are high enough to give their
occupants lifetime exposures that could increase their risk of developing lung
cancer. As one inhales, radon decay products in the inhaled air are deposited in
the lungs. Radon and its decay products emit alpha and beta particles and gamma
photons. The alpha particles are very damaging if emitted from radioactive
material within the body. The alpha particles can strike sensitive lung tissue
causing damage to the cells in the lungs subsequently increasing the risk of
lung cancer. The risk associated with this exposure is thought to increase
linearly with increasing radon concentration, so the higher the average radon
level is in a house, and the longer the exposure period, the greater the risk to
the occupants.
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Tecnhical Information on Radon
Radon concentration in air is measured in units of picoCuries per Liter (pCi/L)
or Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). The picoCurie (pCi) is a unit
of radioactivity which represents one trillionth of a Curie or 2.22
nuclear-transformations / minute. The Becquerel is one nuclear-transformation /
second. The
New York State Department of Health and the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
use 4 pCi/L as a recommended action level. When testing indicates that the radon
level in the lowest primary living area of the home is above this action level,
the Department recommends that the home owner take appropriate corrective
action.
There are several different kinds of radon detectors available. Two
categories of detectors are short term (less than 90 days, typically 2 to 7
days) and long term which is anything from 3 to 12 months. Several factors can
affect radon levels. Radon levels are known to be affected by the time of day,
varying as the temperature changes during the day. They are also affected by the
seasons generally rising in the winter.
The most commonly used device for making short term radon measurements in homes
is the charcoal canister. Usually this device is a small metal container, about
the size and shape of a can of tuna fish, that contains activated charcoal. The
radon in the air is adsorbed on the charcoal and the decay products can then be
measured by a laboratory to determine the concentration of radon in the air.
These devices are fairly quick, inexpensive, and easy to use, but their accuracy
is only ± 20%. Continuous electronic radon monitors generally produce more
precise radon measurements, however they are more expensive and should only be
used by professional radon testing firms. Continuous air monitors are often used
in real estate transactions, because they are more tamper resistant than
charcoal canisters. The New York State Department of Health recommends that the
average of two charcoal canister measurements be used before making a decision
to mitigate.
Long term measurements are the best way to know the annual average radon level
in your home. While short term tests are useful for screening and for situations
where results are needed quickly, a long term test will usually be a better
indicator of the average radon level. This is because it will not be as greatly
influenced by the diurnal and seasonal variations and will provide a true annual
average. One of the more common types of long term detector is the Alpha Track
detector or AT. Year-long measurements by AT detectors in living spaces provide
adequate measurements for decision making.
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