Radon

What is radon? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention “individuals are always exposed to radon.”

Where does radon come from? Radon is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Once produced, radon moves through the ground to the air about, some remains below the surface and dissolves in water that collects and flows under the grounds surface. With that being said, the primary route of exposure to radon is through inhalation and ingestion.

 

Radon has many different pathways to enter one’s home.  Radon is present in our water supply and soil. Radon can get into the air within ones home by entering through the cracks in the soil that is located underneath the foundation of the home. Air pressure in homes is lower than the pressure of air outside and in the soil. Due to the pressure difference suction occurs and that is how radon enters.

Furthermore, radon can be existent in a home’s water supply. This is true if your water supply is from groundwater such as wells. However, in comparison to radon in soil exposure to radon from your water supply is significantly lower.

What disease does it cause? Because radon is a naturally occurring gas we are constantly exposed to it this can cause serious health risks. One of the major risks that people are exposed to from radon is lung cancer. If a person consecutively inhales radon over a long duration of time the gas can become confined or trapped within the lungs.  “Radon is the second leadingcause of lung cancer.” Individuals who smoke are at higher risk of developing lung cancer if they are also exposed to radon. However, individuals exposed to second-hand smoke are also at high risk. As stated by the Environmental Protection Agency radon is “the number one cause of lung canceramong non smokers.”

There are preventative measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of exposure. Testing is the only way in which someone will know what their homes radon levels are at. Having testing done regularly is extremely important because people normally do not show symptoms right away. Symptoms only start to become apparent after years of exposure. Because this disease is virtually undetectable these tests can prevent health risks.

When testing for radon there are two main methods. The most common involves a passive device such as an activated charcoal test kit that collects radon gas atoms or an alpha track device that has a small strip of special plastic that is marked when hit by radon’s alpha particles.  Another device is called an electret which has a plastic disc with static charge; they are used only by professional radon inspectors. This is because of the expertise required and the expensive equipment needed for analysis. The second method is the use of an active device called a continuous radon monitor or a CRM. This device is mostly used by professional radon inspectors for short term radon testing during a real estate transaction. There a multiple makes and models of the CRM device and all require training to be used properly. The differences between the two testing methods are cost, and level of expertise needed for proper use.