What is radon? If you are unfamiliar with radon or maybe you have heard of it several times but are not sure what it is, it is good you are here. Radon is a radioactive element. If your basement is not sealed correctly, your home could experience large amounts of radon, far more than the accepted levels. What happens is the natural breakdown of uranium is being released into the air, hence, why properly sealed basements are a must.
The harmful effects can cause serious lung problems, like lung cancer. In fact, radon leads the United States second in lung cancer, according to the Surgeon General. This has, unfortunately, caused 20,000 lung cancer related deaths every year just by radon alone, as stated and estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, alternative known by its acronym US EPA, and the Surgeon General’s Office.
It is not hard to see why radon causes so much harm in such a short amount of time. Your home could be one of 15 that have concerning radon levels requiring a visit from the EPA. This is simply done with radon testing to determine your home’s levels. This could take anywhere from 2 days to 90 days for short tests; the device used is a factor on the timescale. However, if you are very concerned, perhaps a long-term test will help ease your mind that can take more than 90 days.
What is radon abatement? Peace of mind is not the only benefit of testing for radon. If your home’s levels are too high, there are radon mitigation and abatement services. Just a passive system installed could reduce your radon levels by a whopping 50! Coupled with ventilation fans specifically for radon can see your radon levels drop significantly and allow for you and your family to sleep in peace. So much so that you will have successfully reduced your family’s chances of lung cancer by 2 to 4 percent if your home’s levels were at inadequate levels.
Simply put, asking “What is radon?” will put you and your family in a far safer position than going about your day oblivious to the dangers below your feet. A passive system there, a ventilation fan here, and your family is one less family among the 1 in 15 United States homes with alarming radon levels.