What are the risks of living in a house with high radon levels?
What are the risks of radon? Finding out you have high levels of radon in your home can be scary. What’s scarier than that; is living in a home with high radon levels and not knowing it. In today’s day and age, there are so many ways to test for radon to ensure you and your family’s safety. In a previous blog, we discussed how to test for radon in your home. Levels are tested in picocuries, and currently, the EPA’s recommended action levels are between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.
So, how does radon enter your home? Radon is a gas made up of radioactive particles emitted from the ground. These particles filter through the ground entering the home at any area that may not be sealed properly, such as; around plumbing supply lines, plumbing waste lines, cracks in slabs, lift stations basins in basements, etc. Once in the home, levels can increase based on the amount of radon emitting from the ground and how well the home is sealed. With today’s construction, homes are being sealed tighter to meet strict Energy Efficiency standards.
The Radon particles go through several processed where they break down trying to get to a solid-state. This creates the danger of having high levels of Radon in your home. During the breakdown, process particles release small bursts of energy. From this energy, cancer can occur. The tissue in your lungs becomes damaged over an extended period of time, ultimately leading to lung cancer. Just because you are exposed to Radon does not mean that you will, in fact, get lung cancer.
According to the EPA’s Basic Radon Facts Pamphlet – “Breathing radon can increase your risk of lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among people who do not smoke. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer for people who do. EPA estimates that radon causes more than 20,000 deaths from lung cancer each year in the U.S. If you smoke and your home has a high radon level, your risk of lung cancer can increase even more.”
Radon can result in a serious health risk for you and your family if you are not informed of your home levels. Testing for radon is inexpensive and easy to do. The Surgeon General recommends that all homes be tested for radon to ensure that you know the levels within your home. Contact a local certified radon specialist to test Radon levels within your home to ensure peace of mind for you and your family. For NC and SC residents, please contact Home Inspection Carolina today.
For more about the risks of radon, please visit the EPA’s website.
Great article. Radon testing is a necessity when buying a home. If you’re preparing to buy a home, be sure to include radon inspection as part of the home inspection package. Remember that Radon is also commonly found in older homes.
Good article Chip! Many times radon can be overlooked by potential buyers due to lack of information regarding its dangers. Radon testing should be mandatory.
Thanks for warning me that breathing in radon can cause a person to have lung cancer. Almost everyone in the family has weak and sensitive lungs to begin with so I can’t risk them all by exposing them to this substance. I guess it’s time to hire experts in testing for radon in residential properties to see if mitigation treatments are required.
Great article. Thank you for the sharing. Plenty of useful information here. Exposure to radon for prolonged periods of time can be deadly and lead to long-term health problems, such as lung cancer. Performing a radon test is the first step in looking out for your family’s health.
Thanks for giving us additional information about radon. Exposure to radon gas can cause lung cancer. If you know that your home is at risk for radon, then consider looking for a good company in your area that offers radon testing services.