Radon Defined

Reducing Radon in Your Home

There are simple ways to reduce radon levels in your home. Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly to install if needed. Some radon reduction systems can reduce levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

In September 1988, the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General issued a Health Advisory urging all Americans to test their homes for radon, and to fix them when elevated levels were found. In October that same year, Congress said that the national long-term goal ... with respect to radon ... is that (indoor air) should be as free of radon as the ambient air outside ....

Ten years after the Surgeon General's warning, on February 19, 1998, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), reported that 12% of lung cancer deaths are linked to radon. The NAS is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization. NAS' best estimate is that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the United States. Further, the NAS found that even very small exposures to radon can result in lung cancer.

Neither the NAS nor EPA knows yet at what level radon might be safe, or not cause lung cancer. So, lowering your indoor radon level as much as possible is a very good idea.

How Does Radon Get Into Your Home?

Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other openings in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water. In a small number of homes, the building materials can give off radon, too. However, building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves. RADON GETS IN THROUGH:

Cracks in solid floors

Construction joints

Cracks in walls

Gaps in suspended floors

Gaps around service pipes

Cavities inside walls

The water supply

Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Elevated levels of radon gas have been found in homes in Pennsylvania. While radon problems may be more common in some areas, any home may have a problem. The only way to know about your home is to test.

Testing Your Home

You can't see radon, but it's not hard to find out if you have a radon problem in your home. All you need to do is test for it. The amount of radon in the air is measured in "picoCuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L." Sometimes test results are expressed in Working Levels (WL) rather than picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) (4 pCi/L equals to 0.016 WL). There are many kinds of "do-it-yourself" radon test kits you can get through the mail and in hardware stores and other retail outlets. As an alternative, you can hire a qualified tester to do the testing for you. You should first contact the Pennsylvania state radon office about obtaining a list of qualified testers. You can also contact a private radon proficiency program for lists of privately certified radon professionals serving your area. Metro Capitol Building Inspections has a certified radon tester who can help you.

Testing Conditions

For a short-term test, windows and outside doors need to be kept closed as much as possible during the test. Heating and air-conditioning system fans that re-circulate air may be operated. Do not operate fans or other machines which bring in air from outside. Fans that are part of a radon-reduction system or small exhaust fans operating only for short periods of time may run during the test. If you are doing a short-term test lasting just 2 or 3 days, be sure to close your windows and outside doors at least 12 hours before beginning the test, too. You should not conduct short-term tests lasting just 2 or 3 days during unusually severe storms or periods of unusually high winds. The test kit is placed in the lowest lived-in level of the home (for example, the basement if it is frequently used or could be converted to a playroom or office, otherwise the first floor). It should be put in a room that is used regularly (like a living room, playroom, den or bedroom) but not your kitchen or bathroom. The kits are placed at least 20 inches above the floor in a location where they won't be disturbed - away from drafts, high heat, high humidity, and exterior walls. Once the test is finished, the kits are sent it to a lab for analysis. The time it takes to receive your test results typically depends on the type of testing device used.

What Your Test Results Mean

The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L, and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in the outside air. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels. While this goal is not yet technologically achievable in all cases, most homes today can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General strongly recommend taking further action when the house's radon test result is 4.0 pCi/L or greater. The EPA believes that any radon exposure carries some risk - no level of radon is safe. Even radon levels below 4 pCi/L pose some risk, and you can reduce your risk of lung cancer by lowering your radon level. Even if your test result is below 4 pCi/L,The EPA suggests that you may want to retest sometime in the future.

How to Lower the Radon Levels in Your Home

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. There are several proven methods to reduce radon in your home, but the one primarily used is a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside. This system, known as a soil suction radon reduction system, does not require major changes to your home. Sealing foundation cracks and other openings makes this kind of system more effective and cost-efficient. Similar systems can also be installed in houses with crawl spaces. Radon contractors can use other methods that may also work in your home. The right system depends on the design of your home and other factors.

The Risk of Living With Radon

Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. And the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years. Like other environmental pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the magnitude of radon health risks. However, we know more about radon risks than risks from most other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of radon risks are based on studies of cancer in humans (underground miners). Smoking combined with radon is an especially serious health risk. Stop smoking and lower your radon level to reduce your lung cancer risk. Scientists are more certain about radon risks than from most other cancer-causing substances. Children have been reported to have greater risk than adults of certain types of cancer from radiation, but there are currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon. Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:
• How much radon is in your home
• The amount of time you spend in your home
• Whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked

What About Mold?

Mold is a "hot" topic in the real estate and home owners insurance businesses these days. Most problems are caused by home owners trying to get insurance on homes that have had remediation and the claims are in the insurance database so that, when you apply for home owners insurance on a home that has had mold remediation, the rate will be VERY high. Ask your agent about the C.L.U.E. report.

What is it and where is it found?

Mold is a fungus and it's found in any area, indoors and outdoors in climates or locations where sufficient moisture and a food source exists, generally cellulose.

How can it affect my health?

Not in every case, but in some sensitive people, inhaling the spores can aggravate asthma, hay fever or other allergies. Depending on the amount and length of exposure, the affects can be serious enough to endanger health.

How can I be exposed to it?

Breathing air containing the spores, contact with mold growths, drinking water with mold spores.

How does it grow?

Mold needs moisture to grow. It also needs a food source, although not much. Remove the moisture, the mold will dry up.

What is Stachybotrys?

A type of mold that has been associated with health effects in people. It is a greenish-black mold that can grow on materials with a high cellulose content - such as drywall sheet rock, dropped ceiling tiles, and wood - that become chronically moist or water-damaged, due to excessive humidity, water leaks, condensation, or flooding.

How can I tell if Stachybotrys chartarum is present in my home?

Having the spores tested.

How should mold be cleaned?

Quickly, as soon as it appears. Homes should be visibly inspected for growths regularly. Areas with moisture should be repaired to eliminate the moisture. Cleaning can be effective with small growths. Commercial mold disposal companies are available for large growths.