You cannot see, feel, taste, or smell radioactive radon. It naturally occurs when uranium, a heavy element present in most rocks in the earth’s crust, decays and transforms into radium. Radon is created when radium decays.
After leaving the earth, radon gas enters the air and water. It may be present in the air around you. Normally, just in safe trace levels.
Health issues brought high radon levels. Despite being an earthly natural gas, breathing in large amounts of it over an extended period can be hazardous. There are a few dependable strategies to limit your exposure.
Risks Of Radon Exposure That What Produces Radon In Homes
Radon exposure is a significant health risk, as it can damage the lungs’ lining and lead to lung cancer. The second most common cause of lung cancer, following cigarette smoking, leads to approximately 21,000 deaths each year. Children may be particularly vulnerable due to their lungs’ different size and shape. As compared to adults their breathing rate is faster.According to expert estimates, youngsters exposed to the same level of radon may have a twice as high chance of developing lung cancer as adults. While some research has linked radon to other cancers, the evidence is unclear. Children may also be more vulnerable due to their faster breathing and lungs.
Symptoms Of Radon Exposure
Radon Poisoning and Health Symptoms.
- Symptoms of radon poisoning, such as lung cancer, appear over the years.
- Symptoms may include persistent cough and shortness of breath, persistent wheezing, blood coughing, chest pain, or weight loss.
- No routine medical tests or treatments can definitively determine radon exposure.
Consultation with a doctor is recommended for lung cancer testing.
How Much Radon Are You Exposed To and Can Radon Make You sick?
Radon levels are a significant concern in homes, schools, and offices due to their built-in nature. Cracks in floors, walls, or unsealed openings can allow radon to escape the soil and enter indoors, with basements and crawl spaces being the most affected. About 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated radon levels. Natural substances like concrete and granite countertops emit radon, but the amount is low. Your job may expose you to radon if you work underground or use phosphate fertilizers. While radon may also be found in water from reservoirs, rivers, and lakes, the majority of it is emitted into the atmosphere before it reaches your house.If your home’s water is sourced from a well or other groundwater, it could contain higher levels of radon compared to water from a treatment facility.
How Do You Test Your Home For Radon?
Radon levels in picocuries per liter (pCi/L), with the average home in the U.S. having a safe level of 1.3 pCi/L. However, the EPA estimates that about 6 million homes in the U.S. exceed 4 pCi/L. It is their ‘action level.’ Houses with radon levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L need to be fixed. The EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that every homeowner test their home for radon.
Self-Help Test Kit:
Testing requires little effort on your part, and you can buy a test kit from various sources, such as local home improvement stores, and online retailers.
- Place the test kit in the lowest level of your house, such as your basement, 3 feet off the ground in the center of the room.
- Save the exceptions for entering and leaving your home—keep all windows and doors going outdoors locked.
- After placing the test kit, wait for results, which can take from 2 to 90 days or more than three months.
Hire Professional:
If you prefer, hire a professional to test your home. After receiving your radon test results, you should retest if your results are above four pCi/L. If the average of your two short-term radon tests exceeds four pCi/L, or if a long-term test result is above this level, it’s recommended to have a professional install a radon reduction system. If your results are below two pCi/L, you can relax. Retest if you relocate to a lower floor of your house.
How To Lower Radon Emissions
Radon levels can be safely reduced in any home, no matter its location or type. Active soil depressurization (ASD) is an effective method for radon reduction. It involves fitting a plastic pipe into the soil beneath your house and an attached fan continuously sucks radon gas out. The design of your house determines how your contractor sets up your ASD system, with slab-based houses having a pipe inserted into a hole made in the slab, and crawl space homes having a polyethylene sheet sealed to the foundation walls.
To prevent radon from entering your home, seal any cracks or gaps in your foundation. While opening windows, doors, and vents on the lower level can temporarily lower radon levels, they will return to their previous levels within 12 hours.
Radon levels should be tested at least every two years after installing a radon mitigation system to ensure effectiveness. DSM radon systems have a device that alerts you if something goes wrong. The cost of radon reduction varies, with the national average cost being $1,200.
Takeaways
Radon exposure is the second most prevalent contributor to lung cancer after smoking. Even if you reside in a region where typical radon levels are low, testing is the only method to determine if your home is safe. You can successfully lower high radon levels after testing, ensuring that your family’s health is never at risk from this radioactive gas. For more information and to schedule a radon test, visit DSM Rradon.