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What are the symptoms of radon in your home?
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.
What causes radon gas in houses?
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 radon testing necessary?
When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. You Should Test for Radon. Testing is the only way to find out your home’s radon levels.
How does the radon test work?
Charcoal tests absorb the radon in the air for a specified amount of time, and once in the lab, the radioactive particles emitted by the charcoal are counted or converted to light, giving a radon level readout. Alpha track tests use a plastic film that is etched by the alpha particles that strike it.
Where is radon most 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.
How do you eliminate radon?
Other radon reduction techniques that can be used in any type of home include: sealing, house or room pressurization, heat recovery ventilation and natural ventilation. Sealing cracks and other openings in the foundation is a basic part of most approaches to radon reduction.
What type of soil has the most radon?
Granitic type soils present higher levels of radon gas. Non-granitic soils have traditionally been considered to have very low radon levels.
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.
Should I worry about radon gas?
Should I Worry About Radon Gas? Exposure to radiation, including radon, affects people differently, so there is no such thing as a safe radon level, however the lower your exposure to radon the lower the risk of developing lung cancer as a result of prolonged exposure to radon.
How accurate are radon tests?
“Short-term radon test kits are not effective in measuring radon gas exposure: Findings show radon tests of less than 90 days are imprecise up to 99 percent of the time.” ScienceDaily.
How much is a radon inspection?
A certified radon mitigation contractor can test for radon (est. $100 – $200) depending on home construction and location. A DIY test kit, available from most home improvement stores, runs between $15 – $40, usually including lab analysis.
What can affect a radon test?
A short term test is good at measuring your current radon levels, but these levels can fluctuate due to a number of factors, including: Barometric pressure. Temperature/Season. House construction. Rain soaked ground. HVAC system. Improper placement of the device.
Where is radon found in homes?
It sometimes gets concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space.
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.
Can air filters 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.
How serious is radon in a home?
Most radon exposure occurs inside homes, schools and workplaces. Radon gas becomes trapped indoors after it enters buildings through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Breathing radon over time increases your risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.
What are the common sources of radon?
The main source of indoor radon is radon gas infiltration from soil into buildings. Rock and soil produce radon gas. Building materials, the water supply, and natural gas can all be sources of radon in the home.
Will opening the basement windows before a radon test lower the results?
Unfortunately, no, opening the windows does not reduce radon. It is not a gas that will just permanently escape the home like smoke from something burning in the oven. The radon may seem to leave when the windows are open, but as soon as they are closed, it is back.
How can radon be prevented?
More Ways to Take Action Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans and vents to circulate air. Seal cracks in floors and walls with plaster, caulk, or other materials designed for this purpose.
Is it easy to get rid of radon?
Once your windows close, radon gas can be sucked into the structure again in a matter of hours. Once in the house, there’s no effective way to remove it. If you only have a fan blowing out of the house, you could increase negative pressure, which creates more vacuum on the soil.
What rocks cause radon gas?
The results showed that, on average, homes on limestone, dolostone, and some shales have higher indoor radon concentrations than homes on siltstones, sandstones, and surficial deposits.
What kind of cancers does radon cause?
Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.
Does radon come from granite?
Granite, like any other stone, may contain veins of naturally occurring radioactive elements like uranium, thorium, and their radioactive decay products. Radon released from granite building materials can be released over the lifetime of use but typically will be diluted by ventilation.
