Radon poses a life-threatening risk to you and your family. In order to protect those you love, you must understand the effects of radon exposure. The facts below should serve as a solid starting point to help keep your family safe.
Radon is an tasteless and odorless radioactive gas from decaying uranium underneath the earth’s surface. The only way to detect its by using specialized devices. This makes the gas even more sinister.
You and your family could be breathing radon into your lungs for months, even years without knowing it! If you smoke, your risk is even greater. The good news is, the radon testing can greatly reduce this risk.
The dangers of radon
According to the EPA, Radon has been established as the second leading cause of lung cancer,right behind cigarette smoke. Due to radon’s nature, all members of your family could suffer from its effects.
The EPA estimates that over 21,000 deaths per year are preventable by lowering the radon levels in your home below the acceptable level of 4 pCi/L.
Unfortunately, there are potentially lethal levels of radon in many homes. It’s been found that every state has levels of radon high enough to pose a danger. The amount of radon in your home depends on how resistant your house is. This means that your home may have a high level of radon even if your neighbors’ house seems to be fine.
Worried your home may be dangerous? Check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s Map of Radon Zones to determine if your county is on the list.
The first step is to measure the radon levels in your home. Once you have an accurate measurement, you will have a clearer picture of whether or not your family is being affected. You can also receive advice on how to reduce radon levels in your home.
If measurements show a radon level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher, you are in a high-risk position. Your family is not safe. You will need to install radon-resistant features in your home. Installing the right features will help bring down radon to an acceptable level.
That’s where A Better Home Inspection can be of help to you. We can provide with radon test results in as little as two days. You will then receive advice on how to proceed. This includes making your house radon-resistant as well as reducing current radon levels. Get in touch now so you can start protecting yourself right away!
According to the Surgeon General of the United States, radon could cause lung cancer even in non-smokers. The EPA statistics state over 21,000 cancer deaths caused by radon each year. As harsh as that sounds, nobody deserves to be affected by this gas. Having an inspection by an expert team can help protect innocent lives.
Since radon levels vary over time, it’s necessary to test your home even if it’s been tested before. You want to be sure that there aren’t high levels of radon trapped in your home. An expert can help you with radon testing.
A Better Home Inspection radon testing is measured and collected by a Certified Master Inspector through the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
Of all the home inspection tests to be concerned about, radon testing deserves a place near the top of your list. One of the best ways to think about the importance of radon testing is to put it in the same context as carbon monoxide. The reason household carbon monoxide detectors are so vital to the safety of your home is because CO is a colorless, tasteless gas that can be produced in a variety ways and is lethal to humans. Radon is another naturally-occuring, inert gas that is dangerous to our health. Unlike carbon monoxide, radon is a long-term danger to humans. Due to the radioactivity of the gas, radon is linked to various forms of cancer—most commonly lung cancer. Depending on the geological location of your home, radon may be more or less of a concern, as it is produced by the decay of natural elements in the ground. There are a number of different ways that radon can be tested for, but all of them involve placing a single device or many devices around your home. These testers, which can use charcool, plastic or teflon, trap radon gas in the air and can then be sent to a laboratory to determine how much gas is in your home. These tests are most accurate when done during times of year when your home will not be open to the outside world through windows and screens, ensuring that the readings represent the amount of radon typically in your house.