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U.S. EPA Radon Gas Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas.
Yes, It's A Fact That Radon kills!
According to the American Cancer Society, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and is associated with 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
NORTH CAROLINA The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey have evaluated the radon potential in the U.S. and have developed this map to assist National, State, and local organizations to target their resources and to assist building code officials in deciding whether radon-resistant features are applicable in new construction. This map is not intended to be used to determine if a home in a given zone should be tested for radon. Homes with elevated levels of radon have been found in all three zones. All homes should be tested regardless of geographic location. The map assigns each of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. to one of three zones based on radon potential. Each zone designation reflects the average short-term radon measurement that can be expected to be measured in a building without the implementation of radon control methods. The radon zone designation of the highest priority is Avery, Ashe, Watauga and Mitchell Counties followed closely by Burke, Caldwell and Catawba Counties.
You can't see radon. And you can't smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
According to the EPA any level lower than 4 pCi/L is considered safe. According to the EPA 73 out of 10,000 nonsmoking people who are exposed to a level of 4 pCi/L "will" develope lung cancer. For smokers or those exposed to smoke the numbers jump to 62 out of 1,000 .
Radon Levels Vary From House To House.
- Your Neighbor Can Have Low Radon Levels And Yours Can Still Be High: There is often great variation from house to house.
- Radon Is Completely Undetectable Without Special Equipment: If radon is in your home, you won't be able to smell, taste or see it at room temperature because it will be in its natural form as an odorless, tasteless gas.
- The Symptoms Of Radon Related Illness Often Don't Show Up Until It's Too Late: Would you know the symptoms? Would you know how long and what interval exposure could make you or your loved ones sick?
Where Does Radon Come From?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive element nine times heavier than air and develops as uranium-238 decays. Uranium-238 can be found in all rocks and some soils, in varying amounts. As the decay process occurs, radon is produced in a gas form.
Radon can be found all over the U.S. Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building - homes, offices, and schools - and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.els can be fixe
| How to Lower Your Radon Level
Since there is no known safe level of radon, there can always be some risk. But the risk can be reduced by lowering the radon level in your home.
A variety of methods are used to reduce radon in your home. In some cases, sealing cracks in floors and walls may help to reduce radon. In other cases, simple systems using pipes and fans may be used to reduce radon. Such systems are called "sub-slab depressurization," and do not require major changes to your home. These systems remove radon gas from below the concrete floor and the foundation before it can enter the home. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces.
Since there is no known safe level of radon, there can always be some risk. But the risk can be reduced by lowering the radon level in your home.
A variety of methods are used to reduce radon in your home. In some cases, sealing cracks in floors and walls may help to reduce radon. In other cases, simple systems using pipes and fans may be used to reduce radon. Such systems are called "sub-slab depressurization," and do not require major changes to your home. These systems remove radon gas from below the concrete floor and the foundation before it can enter the home. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. Radon contractors use other methods that may also work in your home. The right system depends on the design of your home and other factors.
Ways to reduce radon in your home are discussed in EPA's "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction." You can get a copy from your state radon office.
The cost of making repairs to reduce radon depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs like painting or having a new hot water heater installed. The average house costs about $1,200 for a contractor to fix, although this can range from about $500 to about $2,500.
Lowering high radon levels requires technical knowledge and special skills. You should use a contractor with credentials who is trained to fix radon problems. A trained mitigation contractor can study the radon problem in your home and help you pick the right treatment method.
Picking someone to fix your radon problem is much like choosing a contractor for other home repairs - you may want to get references and more than one estimate.
You should also test your home again after it is fixed to be sure that radon levels have been reduced. Most radon reduction systems include a monitor that will alert you if the system needs servicing. In addition, it's a good idea to retest your home sometime in the future to be sure radon levels remain low. |
NORTH CAROLINA The U.S. EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey have evaluated the radon potential in th
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