Tag: radon

Radon is a chemical element that is formed by the decay of radium.  Although the half-life of the most stable form of radon is only 3.8 days, (meaning that it naturally breaks down very quickly) radon is a very harmful gas.  Radon gas is created by granite and shale in areas all around the world.  As the radon gas seeps out of the ground, it can accumulate in poorly ventilated basements.  Radon gas is much heavier than other components of the atmosphere so can reach dangerous levels in basements. 

When testing for radon, the best method is to do long term testing.  Testing is accomplished by hanging a detector in your basement for a week.  You then send the detector off to a laboratory to analyze the results.  If they return with a positive result you then should purchase a longer term test to confirm the results.  Radon levels can fluctuate wildly so by having a longer scale test you’ll be able to confirm the presence of the radon and at what levels. 

There are many opinions on what the acceptable level of radon is in your home.  The European Union recommends that action should be taken in old house with a reading of over 11 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) and over 5 pCi/L for new houses while Canada recommends action with a reading of over 5 pCi/L.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency has some of the strictest guidelines and strongly recommends action with a radon detection reading of over 4 pCi/L and encouraging action at 2 pCi/L.  Major health studies have shown that concentrations of over 4 pCi/L create an increased risk of lung cancer.

The Surgeon General of the United States has said that over 20,000 deaths a year are caused by radon poisoning.  Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, only behind smoking.  In addition to lung cancer, radon has been suspected of causing other, non-cancer illnesses such as multiple sclerosis however studies have not yet shown a definite relationship.  Radon detection is a relatively cheap process and can help keep you and your family healthy.

Radon gas is not to be confused with the type of gas that may fuel your stove or home heating system. Gas stoves and heat rely on your utility company, which deliberately puts that sulfurous smell into your gas pipes.  This smell enables you to tell if you have a gas leak, which enables you to evacuate your house (since gas leaks can cause explosions) and call the utility company immediately.  Radon, on the other hand, can kill you silently. You may not even be aware of exposure until years later, when the damage finally becomes evident.  It builds up over time without causing immediately noticeable symptoms.

Radon gas is a naturally occurring, odorless gas.  Radon exposure can lead to lung cancer (and is the leading contributor to lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers) but the only way to tell if it’s present is with a radon gas detector.  Radon is present in all parts of the country, often at harmless levels, but there’s no way to tell for sure without testing.  Even houses near each other may have very different radon levels.  If a radon gas detector finds that your house has a problem you can have a radon mitigation system installed (this usually involves a pipe that vents from your foundation to the outside with a  fan, designed to pull radon into the surrounding air rather than build up in your home).

Radon gas detectors are easy to acquire and use. It’s important to follow the instructions carefully.  Generally, you’ll have to send the radon gas detector kit back to a lab for a reading by a professional, and the results are mailed back to you.  The entire process can take a few weeks, so be sure to allow for this if you are buying or selling a home.

Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that naturally occurs in the soil.  This gas is extremely dangerous when humans breathe it in at high levels.  Since radon is so hard to detect, many people can live for years in a home with high radon levels and not even know it.   Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking cigarettes.  If you have an older home, or a home with a basement, it is extremely important that you get a radon test so you can be aware of the current levels in your home.  In most cases, radon seeps up through cracks in the flooring of a home’s foundation but those with well water should also be aware of its presence in the drinking water as well.  A simple radon test can help you to determine how much radon is in your home’s environment, and can help you decide what steps to take next.

A radon test is generally inexpensive and fairly easy to conduct.  You can purchase an in home testing kit from many retailers and also via mail order.  The test usually only takes a few minutes, and should not cost a whole lot.  It’s worth it for the peace of mind you’ll receive knowing that radon levels you have in your home.  If you feel a little weary of conducting your own radon test, you can always hire a trained professional to do the job for you.  The EPA has listings of qualified contractors, as well as your local state office.  A short term radon test should be able to tell you the general level of radon present.  If you feel uncomfortable with the results, then a long term test lasting over 90 days should be conducted, just so you can be absolutely certain what the radon levels are in your home. 

One of the more recently discovered threats to human health in the home is radon gas, but, fortunately, there are many different radon tests on the market today. Radon is a heavy gas that released during the decay process of the element Radium. As its name suggests, it is substance that has very high levels of radioactivity. High levels of the substance in a home can cause lung cancer, because every time the gas is taken into the lungs, the lungs are bombarded with radioactive energy. Soon, malignant tumors will begin to form within the lungs.

When a homeowner desires to test his or her home for radon, there are several options available. Short-term radon tests can be used to get a general estimate of the amount of gas in the home. The results, however, are not very accurate, because the quantity of the substance in a home tends to very greatly over time. A long-term, 90-day, test is far more accurate, and should be the second step in the testing process. The third available option is to hire a professional contractor to perform the radon tests. With more expensive and accurate equipment, this is probably the best option to determine the amount of radon that is in the home.

If the radon tests show that there are unacceptable levels of radon in the home, then the next step is to fix the problem. Sometimes the solution can be as simple as installing a vent fan and some ductwork. If that does not lower the levels, however, it may be time to call a professional in to do the work. The contractor will start by sealing any cracks in the foundation, and then a system will be installed underneath the home that will collect the gas and vent it outside. After the repairs are complete, it is a good idea to do a few more radon tests to ensure that the house is now safe.

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that has very serious consequences to humans if it is breathed in at high levels and for an extended period of time.  In fact, scientists say that radon is the second cause of lung cancer behind smoking.  Since radon is hard to detect, it’s very important that everyone do radon testing on their own homes to be sure of its presence.  There are two basic ways to perform radon testing: short term and long term.  The short term method involved purchasing a simple, at home testing kit that can be found at many retailers nationwide, or online.  The test consists of a canister that needs to be placed near the foundation of the home, since radon is found in the soil.  The canister then sits for anywhere from two to 90 days, and needs to be placed in the lowest level in the home.  If you have a basement, this is an ideal location.  Be sure to put the radon testing device in an area that can be sealed by closing doors and windows in order to get the most accurate results.

Long term radon testing is much more involved and usually requires the assistance of a professional.  This test involves using the radon testing kit,  but it must be left in place for more than 90 days.  The testing itself is simple, but it’s the final results that may need to be analyzed by someone who is familiar with radon and how it operates.  Whether you choose a short or long term radon testing method, it’s important to know about the potential presence of this harmful gas in your home so you can protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property.  By knowing where the radon is and whether or not the levels are harmful, you can have peace of mind and know that you’re protected from this silent killer.

There have been a variety of studies that have demonstrated that radon is dangerous to the health when it is present at levels over what has been determined to be reasonably safe. That makes a radon gas test an important part of keeping the home environment as safe and healthy as possible, as there are ways to reduce the amount of radon present, once you know that there is a problem.

With testing so important, it is a good ideal to familiarize yourself with the available radon gas test methods, so that you can choose the means of testing most suitable for your needs. Radon gas test methods fall generally into two categories, passive and active.

The passive radon gas test methods can be done in a building without power, before you move into it. These tests use such substances as charcoal and are left in an area to absorb the air and, if present, the radon. After a set amount of time, the radon gas test is then submitted to a lab for analysis.  

An active radon gas test runs continuously and requires a power source, as it is actively and constantly testing and keeping track of the levels of radon present. This constant measuring is thought to be much more reliable than the passive sorts of testing. This sort of test may be suitable for a site that has had a consistent problem with significantly higher than permissible levels of radon in the air.

A radon gas test is an important part of ensuring that your home environment is as healthy and safe as it can be. The best type of radon gas test for your home will depend on the specifics of your particular situation. In a home that has never shown a high radon level, a passive test may be fine. For a home that has experienced a significant problem, the active radon gas test may be the better choice.

Radon was discovered in 1900.  It is a colorless, odorless gas that is formed by the natural breakdown of uranium, and is most often found in soil.  The health hazards associated with radon are so significant, that breathing it in on a regular basis can be as dangerous as smoking 130 or more packs of cigarettes a day!  Radon gas was first found to be a danger to humans in 1984 when it was discovered to be a presence in homes.  After lung cancer, radon is the second most common cause of lung cancer, so its implications are extremely serious.  It is still not known whether or not radon gas causes other forms of cancer, but some doctors believe that it does contribute to some cases of diseases such as multiple sclerosis.   Fortunately, there are ways to find out whether or not there is a presence of radon gas in your home.  Radon testing kits can be purchased from many retailers for the cost of about $10-$20.  The investment is certainly well worth it.

You can help to prevent radon gas from entering your home by sealing all cracks in your foundation, as well as any leaks or cracks in the water drainage system.  Many local affiliates will also perform free radon tests and radon gas mitigation tactics for a small fee or even free of charge.  Millions of homes have been tested, but there are still millions more that have not, so it is imperative that everyone try to at least find out the level of radon gas in their homes in order to protect themselves and their family from this extremely harmful element.  The more you know, the more you can be aware and informed about not only the dangers of radon, but how to prevent and remove it when necessary.

Until 1984, the average homeowner was never concerned about the radon level is his or her home. That year, an employee of a nuclear power plant started setting off the radiation alarms every time he went to work in a two-week span. After a long investigation, it was determined that his high radiation levels were not the result of his current position of employment, but a silent and possibly deadly contaminant in his home.

His home was tested and the investigators found an extremely high radon level within the house. Radon gas is a highly radioactive material that forms as the element radium begins to decay. The substance is extremely detrimental to the health of anyone exposed to it in high enough quantities, and it is behind only smoking in its tendency to cause lung cancer. Radon is expelled from the ground, naturally, almost everywhere. Houses that are built on granite or shale, however, tend to have the highest concentrations of the gas, because the underlying ground is much more porous than materials like sand or clay.

Fortunately, the government immediately set standards regarding the acceptable radon level that can be present in the average home. Soon after, many services were offered to test for the gas in residences, and if unacceptable levels were found, the problem could be corrected. Now, there is a wide supply of kits available that the homeowner can use to test the radon level without needing to call a professional.

If a high radon level is found in a home, the most common advice is to monitor the situation for a while. The gas tends to fluctuate in volume, and, therefore, it may take a while to get an accurate measurement of the actual quantity of gas present in the home. Then, if it is necessary, a professional can be called to deal with the problem. Lowering a high radon level can prevent the future onset of radon-related lung cancer.

Radon gas can not only cause lethal lung cancer, but can also create headaches for homeowners when they attempt to sell a house. Or, if  you’re buying the home of your dreams, you might discover that everything’s perfect…except that the house comes laden with unsafe levels of radon gas.

However, when it comes to radon gas mitigation, knowledge is power. Once you know about the presence of radon gas (through a radon test kit, available at a discount from the National Safety Council) it’s possible to alleviate the problem without exorbitant expense or trouble.  Most radon gas mitigation for preexisting homes costs less than $3000 (sometimes much less, depending on the home).  This may seem like a lot of money, but it’s cheaper than getting lung cancer down the road, or losing a home sale because a buyer found out about the radon gas problem.   To find out more about radon gas mitigation, or to find a radon gas mitigation specialist in your area, you can talk to your state radon office. These offices will also provide maps of risk in your county or metro area, but these risk maps are just estimates; radon levels vary from home to home even on the same street.

Once you have the facts, you can decide what to do. Radon mitigation is a necessary step in any home  that has elevated radon levels; it usually involves a venting system with a fan that essentially sucks the radon-filled air out from your basement or from below your foundation and pushes it into the surrounding air.   A certain amount of radon occurs in air naturally, and the radon gas mitigation system dissipates the radon in your house into the outside world, where it escapes instead of building up.  Don’t let your home become a haven for radon; get  your home tested and engage a radon gas mitigation service if necessary.