Radon gas is a leading cause of lung cancer. Many people are unaware that this invisible threat is in their home, but testing using a radon gas detector is very simple. If radon levels are dangerously high, mitigation or abatement systems can be easily installed in the home by qualified technicians.
Radon Gas And Lung Cancer Diagnosis
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which is colorless and odorless. It is produced by the breakdown of the element uranium and is mostly found in rocks and soil. Radon usually enters people's homes through the foundation and basement. The air pressure inside a house is lower than the surrounding soil, so the building acts like a vacuum, sucking in the radon through cracks, openings, or just the concrete basement floor itself.
There is naturally occurring radon in the air we breathe outside, but concentrated levels in the home pose a severe health risk. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Only smoking poses a greater lung cancer risk than radon. If you smoke and are exposed to radon gas in your home, your risk of lung cancer is even greater.
Safe Radon Levels
The EPA has determined that any level of indoor radon above 4 pCi/l is unsafe. According to www.radon.com, "A family whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/l is exposed to approximately 35 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if that family was standing next to the fence of a radioactive waste site."
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that radon leads to about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. Almost 3,000 of those are in non-smokers. Radon levels in the home between 2 and 4 picocuries per liter still pose a risk and should be addressed at the discretion of the homeowner. Most radon mitigation specialists aim to reduce the radon exposure in the lowest livable floor of your house to under 2 pCi/l.
Radon Gas Detectors
It is relatively simple to test your home for radon. Radon test kits are widely available at hardware stores or from your local county health department. Some kits are free; others are reasonably priced to cover the cost of lab analysis. The kit is placed in your home for 48-72 hours, and then sent to a lab via mail. The results are typically emailed back to you within a few days.
There are both short term and long term tests available. The short term ones study radon levels for only a few days, but are a good barometer of indoor air quality. The long term tests are used for several months to get a more complete picture of radon levels in the home. Radon levels are higher in the winter when most houses are not ventilated with open windows.
Air Chek, Inc. has some of the most popular home test kits. You can also purchase more expensive professional units like the Safety Siren Pro Series 3 Radon Gas Detector. It allows you to have more accurate and ongoing tests in different parts of the house without having to send the kit back to the lab. These units work much like home carbon monoxide detectors.
Radon Remediation
Once you have determined there are unsafe levels of radon in your home, it is advised that your hire a professional contractor who specializes in radon mitigation. The EPA recommends doing research on any radon abatement specialist before hiring them to do the work.
The typical mitigation system is simply one or more suction points drilled into the basement floor, with PVC pipes that vent to the exterior of the house. The system is driven by a fan which sucks the radon from the soil under the home's foundation, then blows the radon safely out of the house through the pipes.
Most systems cost between $700 and $1200 depending upon what part of the country you're in and how many suction points and the size of the fan needed to run the abatement system. Many contractors have a guarantee that the work will reduce radon to safe levels. Also, look for warranties on parts and labor and transfer rights to new homeowners in case you sell your house in the future.
Radon is an invisible threat in many homes in America. However, testing for unsafe levels and subsequent mitigation techniques are relatively easy and affordable. The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure should spur consumers to have their homes tested and fixed, especially if small children are in the house.
References
- The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). http://www.epa.gov/radon/
Brian Downing - Graduated Summa Cum Laude from the College of Mount St Joseph with a Bachelor's Degree in Socio-Psychology. Subsequently co-authored an ...
