1. Invisible Dangers
Radon gas is an invisible, odorless radioactive gas that seeps through the cracks and crevices in a home. It can cause serious health problems, especially in young children, seniors and people with compromised immune systems or weak respiratory systems. Radon gas causes lung cancer and kills more than 20,000 people in the United States every year. You don't even know you are being poisoned until it is too late. Doctors don't even regularly test for radon poisoning when you present them with symptoms.
2. Protect Your Home
New homes can be built with radon-proof structures that will prevent any of the gas from leaking in. Radon detectors are now as popular as smoke detectors and everyone is encouraged to set one up in the house. With a radon kit, you can easily test the air in your home for radon gas and if you find it present, install fans and extra ventilation systems to blow it out. Then keep the detector active for signs of returning radon.
3. Natural Byproduct
Radon is not something that can easily be predicted by soil testing or learning the history of the property before you build on it. Radon is a naturally occurring byproduct of the earth breaking down uranium. The Environmental Protection Agency has reported that radon is the second highest cause of lung cancer, after smoking. They say that radon is more deadly than carbon monoxide.
4. Symptoms Not Always Clear
The symptoms of radon poisoning are not always obvious and clear cut. Radon breaks down into lead, which in small amounts is easily absorbed into the body. The insidious lead atoms bury deep into the lungs and over time will mutate into cancer. There is no telling who or when the disease will hit. It's usually not until a patient is diagnosed with full-blown lung cancer that any evidence of the radon poisoning shows itself.
5. Most Homes Have It
While most homes in the United States will register some levels of radon gas when tested, some statistics say that anywhere from five to 20 percent of homes in the U.S. have seriously high levels that could lead to lung cancer. Many other factors influence the rate of fatal poisoning. While you may have high levels of radon in your home, maybe you don't spend as much time at home as your neighbor does. Often cracks in the foundation are not readily accessible. The best prevention is to get tested, get a detector and change its battery every year when you put new batteries in your smoke detector.
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