What Is Radon In Homes

What causes radon in a home?

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 holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Radon from soil gas is the main cause of radon problems.

Is it OK to live in a house with radon?

If you smoke and live in a home with high radon levels, you increase your risk of developing lung cancer. Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear. People who smoke and are exposed to radon are at a greater risk of developing lung cancer.

How do you get rid of radon in your home?

Active subslab suction — also called subslab depressurization — is the most common and usually the most reliable radon reduction method. One or more suction pipes are inserted through the floor slab into the crushed rock or soil underneath. They also may be inserted below the concrete slab from outside the home.

How do you know if you have radon in your home?

The only way you can tell that you might have radon in your house is looking for the entryways. Finding cracks in your floor or walls might mean radon has made its way into your home, but there’s still no way to know for sure.

What are 5 facts about radon?

Here are a few facts about radon, and what you can do to help keep your family healthy and safe. Radon is radioactive. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon causes cancer. No immediate symptoms. You must test for radon. Radon is present indoors and outdoors. Radon can build up in any building.

Where is radon commonly found?

Radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars and living spaces in contact with the ground. However, considerable radon concentration can also be found above the ground floor. Radon concentrations vary considerably between adjacent buildings, as well as within a building from day to day and from hour to hour.

Does opening windows reduce radon?

Opening windows improves air circulation and ventilation, helping move radon out of the house and mixing radon-free outside air with indoor air. Make sure all your basement windows are open. Homes tend to have lower air pressure than their surroundings, which draws radon into the basement.

How common is radon in homes?

It’s common: About 1 in every 15 homes has what’s considered an elevated radon level. The gas is odorless and invisible, says the EPA, and it causes no immediate symptoms, so the only way to know if your home is affected is by testing your individual residence.

Should I be worried about radon?

Radon Is a Cancer‑Causing, Radioactive Gas But it still may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General of the United States has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today.

Does radon go away?

There is not a radon clean-up solution because radon gas continuously seeps into homes from the soil below. You have to stop the flow. Mitigation systems become permanent components of the home and have to be running all of the time to keep radon out.

Can radon be removed?

Radon removal systems are extremely effective at removing this dangerous gas from your home. According to the EPA, some systems can remove up to 99 percent of radon gas that was present. Some professional companies even install monitors with their radon reduction equipment.

Can air purifiers remove radon?

Yes, air purifiers help with radon gas reduction to some extent. The air purifiers with activated carbon filter technology are highly effective in trapping radon gas.

What are the first signs of radon poisoning?

A persistent cough could be a sign that you have radon poisoning. Persistent cough. Hoarseness. Wheezing. Shortness of breath. Coughing up blood. Chest pain. Frequent infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. Loss of appetite.

Should I walk away from a house with radon?

Should you walk away from the deal? Consumer Reports says you don’t have to. Radon-related deaths are due to exposure over the course of a lifetime. “You should definitely take it seriously but you really don’t need to walk away from the home.

What does radon smell like?

Radon gas does not have a smell. It is odorless, colorless, tasteless, and invisible to the human eye. If you have high levels of radon in your home, you won’t notice any immediate adverse effects.

What period is radon in?

6 Group 18 Melting point Period 6 Boiling point Block p Density (g cm − 3 ) Atomic number 86 Relative atomic mass State at 20°C Gas Key isotopes.

What problems does radon cause?

When you breathe in radon, it gets into the lining of your lungs and gives off radiation. Over a long time, that can damage the cells there and lead to lung cancer. Radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking.

Are radium and radon the same?

Not exactly. For starters, radon is a gas and radium is a solid. Radium is produced by the natural decay of uranium, a radioactive element found in nature in low quantities.

What state has the most radon?

Alaska has the highest radon levels of 10.7 pCi/L. Homeowners in Alaska are encouraged to test for radon every two years. Here are the 10 states with the highest Radon levels: Alaska (10.7).

What type of soil is radon found in?

The U.S. Geological Survey explains that radon moves easily and quickly through porous soils, like sand and gravel, and slower through more solid soils, clay being one such example. Moisture has a lot to do with this.

Does finishing basement reduce radon levels?

Radon Gas Problems in Basements You may want to reduce the radon level to a minimum just to protect your family’s health, particularly, if the children spend lots of time in the finished basement. Before basement remodeling, seal the concrete with RadonSeal™ to reduce radon to a minimum and to keep it that way.

Is radon common in new homes?

Radon can enter your new house through cracks or openings in the foundation. The differences in air pressure between the inside of a building and the soil around it also play an important role in radon entry. If the air pressure of a house is greater than the soil beneath it, radon will remain outside.