The Hidden Danger of Radon in our Homes
Is the air you breathe safe? Within our world full of toxic matter, there’s one that is starting to rise to the top, literally. Radon Gas. I had never thought about Radon, and to be honest, I didn’t even know where it came from until I saw a special on my local news a couple of years ago stating that the area I live, Huntsville (North Alabama), has some of the highest levels of Radon in the country!
At that time, I was staying at home with my ten month old son, in the middle of doing home improvement projects, running a business from home, and trying to keep my home clean; it was for sale at that time. I thought about testing my home for Radon, but time went by, and I was ”too busy” to worry about it. In mid December 2008, someone who had decided to purchase our home had it tested. To our dismay, the levels came back high. I was so frantic, that I packed up my things, called my husband at work and begged that we leave early for our Christmas trip to visit family. I could literally feel my throat closing in just from the thought of Radon floating around in my house, and I thought I would have an anxiety attack if I didn’t leave soon. I was so scared for my baby, who I thought would be at a higher risk of possible lung damage because of his size; but now I know that the risk is the same for adults and children. What risk you ask?
Here’s the lowdown on Radon from the World Heath Organization Website:
Key facts
- Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer in many countries.
- Radon is estimated to cause between 3% and 14% of all lung cancers, depending on the average radon level in a country.
- Radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke, and is the primary cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
- Radon-induced lung cancers are mainly caused by low and moderate rather than by high radon concentrations, because of the large number of people exposed to indoor radon in homes with such low concentrations.
- The lower the radon concentration in a home, the lower the risk as there is no known threshold below which radon exposures carries no risk.
What is radon?
Radon is a chemically inert, naturally occurring radioactive gas. It has no smell, colour or taste. Radon is produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium, which is found in rocks and soil. Radon can also be found in water.
Radon escapes easily from the ground into the air, where it disintegrates through short-lived decay products called radon progeny. As radon progeny decay, they emit radioactive alpha particles and attach to aerosols, dust and other particles in the air. As we breathe, radon progeny are deposited on the cells lining the airways where the alpha particles can damage DNA and potentially cause lung cancer.
What is a safe level of radon gas?
A safe level of radon gas is no radon gas. Radon gas is a carcinogen which causes lung cancer. The US EPA has put it plainly, stating, “Any radon exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer. The lower the radon level in your home, the lower your family’s risk of lung cancer.” The average person receives a higher dose of radiation from the radon levels in their home than from their combined exposure to all other radiation sources, natural or man-made. Radon gas is a naturally-occurring byproduct of the radioactive decay of Uranium in the soil.
What is an acceptable level of radon gas?
Radon Act 51 passed by Congress set the natural outdoor level of radon gas (0.4 pCi/L) as the target radon level for indoor radon levels. Unfortunately two-thirds of all homes exceed this level. The US EPA was tasked with setting practical guidelines and recommendations for the nation. To this end, the US EPA has set an action level of 4 pCi/L. At or above this level of radon, the EPA recommends you take corrective measuresto reduce your exposure to radon gas.
To check levels of Radon for your specific State and County go to:
http://www.radon.com/radon/radon_map.html
So, what happened with my home? The person who had our house tested backed out of buying it. However, I am grateful to them for exposing this invisible danger to us. We obviously decided to mitigate our Radon, so we got a quote from a local Radon mitigation company. We were shocked to see the $2800 price tag! The funny thing that my husband noted about the quote was this: It was all labor cost! The supplies weren’t expensive at all. My husband and his family are what you would call “fixers.” They aren’t afraid to tackle industrious projects, so we decided to mitigate the Radon ourselves. It wasn’t rocket science; it took about half a day, some drilling, and a little “know how” when it came to the logistics. It’s basically a Radon Fan, and a lot of PVC pipe.
After installing the system, regular testing should be performed to monitor the levels since they can change often. We bought a test called Safety Siren Pro. It has a short term setting, as well as a long term. What’s great about it, is we are able to share it with our friends and family. And now that we are in the process of buying a new home (in the Hampton Cove, AL area), we have it there testing right now to ensure that we won’t be moving back into a Radon problem! The laws are changing in Alabama to require full disclosure on Radon levels in homes. A lot of new homes are being constructed to include a Radon By-Pass System, so that if it needs to be mitigated, all one has to do is attach the fan.
Don’t wait, test your home today!
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Hi Lana, this is my first time visiting your blog. You have done a great job here. I’m finding your posts to be very interesting and informative.
On the radon, OMG! I seem to remember a local news story a few years ago, as well. I must not have paid very much attention! I had no idea. I want to run out and buy a tester right away! I don’t think my house has ever been tested. Being an ex-smoker, I am already paranoid about getting lung cancer as it is. Thanks for the heads up!
Hi John,
Thanks for visiting my site. I’m glad I could bring awareness of this very important subject to your attention! This unfortunately is one of those topics that gets pushed aside because we always tend to think that this is something that “other” people have to worry about. I hope your test comes back with a low reading. Thanks again for the comment!
Thank you Lana for sharing your story which will help save lives. Our organization Cancer Survivors Against Radon is a group of individuals who had no idea high levels of radon was present in their homes until the diagnosis of lung cancer enter their lives. We have a national media networking campaign whereby a black tee shirt with the words “REDUCE RADON” is touring our nation to raise radon awareness, testing and mitigation which will save lives by preventing future radon-induced lung cancer deaths. Please become a fan of Radon TEE on the facebook page http://www.facebook.com/radontee. Thank you very much for caring about others and helping to save lives!
Gloria,
Thank you for the post. I am amazed at how many people are still unaware of this issue. I’m just glad I only lived with radon for a couple of years before I found out and mitigated it. I am still worried, however, of the long term affects of this dangerous poison in my lungs. I visited your facebook page, and am very impressed with the work you are doing! I am working on a facebook page for wired mamas, and will connect with you as soon as I can.
Thanks again!
So if I am purchising a home and it already has the mitigation system installed and levels are 0.4 should I be concerned??? Freaked out home shopper
Hi Kacy, If the reading is 0.4 and NOT 4.0, then you are completely safe. Just to be sure you are reading the results correctly, you may want to call the mitigation company to ask them how to read the test you are using. Good luck, and thank you for reading and responding. Radon is a serious concern that all home buyers should be aware of.