Since radon is an odorless gas, you may not be aware that your home has radon levels that are at or above the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency’s action level. Furthermore, since radon is a poisonous gas that is known to cause lung cancer and other health issues, it’s important to have a radon mitigation and abatement service provide residential radon testing services at your home.
It’s been determined that around one out of every 15 homes within the United States has radon levels that exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s action levels. The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency also reported that when radon levels were checked in seven states and on three Indian lands, that one in three of these homes had screening levels that exceeded 4 pCi/L, which is the recommended action level for radon exposure.
According to the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General’s Office, approximately 20,000 people die of lung cancer every year due to radon gas exposure. While this is an estimated number of radon-associated deaths, and there may be other contributing factors, there are a variety of factors that contribute to their assessment of the situation.
Scientists also estimate that these deaths could be decreased by 5,000 when radon levels are lowered to safer levels of 3.9 pci/l or lower, which creates a much healthier environment. When individuals and families are exposed to radon for a long period of time, the risk of developing lung cancer also increases by 16% per 100 Bq/m.
In order to determine whether you have radon gas present in your home, basement, or surrounding grounds, local radon testing services need to be conducted. In addition to short-term tests, long-term testing may also be required to obtain an accurate reading. Short-term detectors will be used to measure radon levels for two to 90 days. This does, however, depend on the type of device used by your local radon testing service. Long-terms tests, which are conducted for over 90 days, are used to determine the average concentration of radon in your home, basement, or surrounding grounds.
If it is determined that radon is present in your home, then there are two types of mitigation services that may be performed. Passive systems are usually capable of reducing indoor radon levels over 50%. In conjunction with passive systems, radon ventilation fans have demonstrated their capacity to further reduce radon levels.
When your home has a basement that tends to flood, your local radon testing, abatement, and mitigation service will usually recommend that you have a sump pump installed. This is because radon can seep through the walls and up through the ground water Standing water can be pumped out with this device, thus reducing potential exposure. If you already have a sump pump, then you’ll want to make sure that it is working optimally. Your local contractor will be able to inspect it to determine whether or not it is in need of cleaning, repairs, and/or replacement.
Since you want to ensure that your home is free from radon, remember that it is an odorless toxic gas. Only testing will be able to determine whether or not it is in your home. If you have additional questions about the radon testing, abatement, and mitigation process, contact your local radon testing service at your earliest convenience.