Protect Your Family From Radon Gas
- Isis Obolensky
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
Radon: 2nd Leading Cause of Lung Cancer
Preventing yourself and people you care about from illness is always a top priority. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. Radon, a Class-A carcinogen, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Today's energy-efficient, airtight homes can actually increase your risk. Since most people spend a majority of their day inside, we all need be certain that the indoor air quality is safe and healthy.
What is Radon?
Radon is an invisible and odorless radioactive gas and is continuously created by natural breakdown metals in soils. Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas. Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.
What Are the Risks of Exposure to Radon?
Exposure to radon, a naturally-occurring radioactive gas, claims an estimated 21,000 lives annually, according to the EPA from radon-related lung cancer. When you breathe in radon, it permeates the lining of your lungs and over time, damages the cells with radiation. This can lead to lung cancer.
How Does Radon Get Into Your Home?
The odorless, tasteless and colorless gas can be found anywhere and can go undetected inside homes for years. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that one in 15 homes will test at or above the EPA’s action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). A picocurie is a measure of the rate of radon’s radioactive decay.
Stack effect (chimney effect) will cause radon inflow that will migrate in to the home.
Because the pressure inside of your home is typically lower than the pressure in the soil outside, the home acts as a vacuum, pulling radon inside through several openings that can include:
Cracks, pores and holes in the foundation
Floor-wall joints
Mortar joints
Sump pump
Soil in unfinished crawl spaces
Well water
Cavities inside walls
Loose-fitting pipe penetrations
Granite, brick, concrete or rock materials
Radon levels tend to be highest in basements and first-floor rooms that have contact with soil. While radon can enter the home through well water and building materials, the most common way it gets in is through soil around the house. While some areas of the U.S. are more prone to high radon levels, all homes are susceptible. The only way to know about the levels in your home is to test for them.
Testing for Peace of Mind
You should test for radon. Testing is the only way to find out your home's radon levels. The EPA recommends checking radon levels in your home at least every two years as radon flow can increase over a time. We spend most of our time indoors at home, especially children and the longer you're exposed, the more you're breathing in this carcinogen.
What should you do if you have high radon levels
It’s important to remember a high level of radon is completely correctable. If you perform a radon test and the results are high, you will need to hire an experienced professional who can install a radon mitigation system. Mitigation systems effectively draw radon out of your home. Consider installing a simple, inexpensive ventilation system that can protect your family from radon gas. You can contact us for a great referral to a Certified Mitigation Radon Contractor.
Please take a moment and share this information with people you care about. If each of us can spread the word about radon, we can save many lives this year and for many years to come. The sooner you test your home, the better off you and your family will be. For your own peace of mind, and to keep yourself and your loved ones safe, get your home tested for radon as soon as possible.
Reference
What is Radon?
National Radon Action Plan
How Many Breaths Do You Take Each Day?
Health Risk of Radon
Radon and Cancer
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