It is important to check and maintain the levels of radon gas in any home or business, due to the dangerous and common nature of radon. Almost all enclosed structures have some amount of radon gas in the air, but there is no way to tell the exact levels without specific testing. Radon gas has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer, so you should know your own exposure levels.
Features
Radon is an odorless and colorless gas that results from the natural decay of uranium in dirt, rock and water. This radioactive gas seeps upward into the air and small particles can lodge in the lungs, causing damage over time.
Geography
Radon levels are very dependent on local geography and can vary over short distances. Even if you live in an area where others have tested for radon and found low levels, your home may be in danger. Only testing within your home or place of business can determine the actual level of radon gas inside. You can get an overview of likely radon gas levels from the Environmental Protection Agency’s state radon testing office.
Size
Radon gas levels are measured by units of pico curies per liter of air, abbreviated as pCi/L. Radon gas exists everywhere, and natural, outdoor levels average at 0.4 pCi/L. The indoor average for the United States is 1.3 pCi/L, and the EPA recommends your home have radon levels below 2 pCi/L. Despite this, dangerous exposure levels are only expected above 4 pCi/L.
Significance
Radon gas exposure is the second-highest cause of lung cancer in the United States, following only smoking in its impact. The EPA links over 20,000 annual deaths to the effects of elevated radon gas levels and estimates that about one in every fifteen homes in the country have elevated levels of radon gas contamination.
Effects
According to a World Health Organization study conducted in 2009, lung cancer risk increases by 16 percent with every increase of 2.7 pCi/L of radon exposure. The result of this increased cancer risk is an estimated 36 cases out of a population of 1000 at an exposure of 20 pCi/L. For smokers, this same 20 pCi/L of exposure yields as many as 260 cases of lung cancer per 1000. At natural, outdoor levels of radon exposure, estimated at 0.4 pCi/L, those numbers drop to 2 cases per 1000 for non-smokers and 3 cases per 1000 for smokers.
Prevention/Solution
You can determine radon levels in your home with a radon testing device, such as a charcoal canister or alpha tracker. Initially, you can track over a short period of less than 90 days. If high levels of radon are detected, contact a radon mitigation specialist to arrange for long-term tracking and mitigation. To reduce radon levels to acceptable levels, a specialist may need to construct a soil suction radon reduction system. This will channel and vent radon gas from under your foundation before it reaches the inside of the house.
Warning
Even low levels of radon gas are dangerous and could possibly cause lung cancer. The average outdoor concentration is 0.4 pCi/L and rarely causes problems. The EPA’s estimate of 4 pCi/L as a safe level for indoor exposure does not mean no radon-related cancers but only risk reduced to acceptable levels.
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