Many people are aware of carbon monoxide—a gas that has no color, smell or taste and can prove deadly for those exposed to large amounts of it—and take steps to protect their home, usually by installing a carbon monoxide detector. But did you know there’s another dangerous gas commonly found in homes that can impact your indoor air quality? January is Radon Action Month, an effort to bring awareness to radon gas and what homeowners can do to protect against it.
What is radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of radioactive materials in the earth. It is found in rocks and soil, and may be found in well water. Because radon occurs naturally in the environment, even the air we breathe contains small amounts of radon. Radon has been found in every state in the US, and 1 in 15 homes has radon in it, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Radon is usually found in the basement of homes, and often enters the home through cracks in walls, floors, and foundations. The amount of radon in homes varies from area to area, and even from home to home in the same neighborhood. One home may not have problematic levels of radon, while the home next door may have dangerously high levels of radon.
Is radon dangerous?
Small amounts of radon are natural and occur everywhere on earth. However, exposure to large amounts of radon over a long period of time has been linked with lung cancer. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that radon is the no. 1 cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. More than 20,000 people die each year from lung cancer caused by radon.
Is there radon in your home?
Because radon has no color, smell or taste, it is impossible to tell if radon is present in your home without conducting a radon test. You can do the test yourself or hire a professional to do the test. There are two types of radon tests: a short-term test that last between 2 and 90 days, and a long-term test that last more than 90 days. Tests may either be passive devices that catch radon to measure how much is present in the home, or active devices that continuously run and take measurements. Anyone can do a passive test, but only professionals can do active tests.
What can you do to protect against radon?
If a test finds that your home has higher-than-average radon levels, you will need to have professionals come in to help get rid of the radon and seal the home to help prevent more radon from getting inside. Sealing the home may include laying down plastic sheeting in the home’s lowest level and sealing any cracks in floors and walls.
For homes that keep testing high for radon, ventilation—or the free movement of air throughout a building—is an important factor. Specially designed fans can be installed to help improve air flow and help keep radon gas from building up.
(Reprinted with permission from NADCA.com)
nadca.com and BreathingClean.com
