Radon: 

Radon is difficult to understand. You cannot see it, smell it, or feel it, but you cannot avoid breathing radon gas. Radon comes from the natural radioactive decay of radium and uranium in the soil under your house. Radon levels in the soil vary depending on the chemistry of the soil. The amount of radon that escapes from the soil to enter your house depends on the weather, soil porosity, soil moisture, and the suction within the house. Suction in a house is caused by warm air in the house rising to the attic, creating slightly lower pressure at the lowest level of the house. This low pressure area pulls the radon out of the soil and into the house. It is not possible to seal the house well enough to prevent radon entering the house. However, there are other very effective means of controlling radon. Millions of homes in the country have been tested and found to have elevated radon levels. There has not been even one house that could not be corrected to an acceptable level. Radon exposure is believed by scientists to be the second leading cause of lung cancer. When radon decays, it shoots off alpha particles. These are small, heavy, sub-atomic particles with two protons and two neutrons. If an alpha particle strikes the chromosomes in a lung cell, it can alter the way that cell reproduces. Normally, our immune system will recognize and destroy these mutant cells before they can multiply into a cancerous growth. Some people have better immune systems than others, and radon does not affect everyone the same. The level of radon that is considered hazardous is difficult to determine. Radon levels are measured in pCi/L (don’t worry about what that stands for). Most experts agree that if a house tests above 20 pCi/L it is prudent to install permanent corrective measures. If the house tests below 4 pCi/L most experts agree that there is relatively low probability of serious health risk. Cigarette smokers have eight times the risk from radon as non-smokers, and should keep their exposure to radon as low as possible. It is not hard to find out you have a radon problem in your home. You can buy radon test devices from retail stores, you can send away for test devices from laboratories that offer mail order services, or you can hire a licensed radon tester. Obviously, you will get varying amounts of help and additional information depending on which method you use. There is a lot of information available on the subject. For further research, you may want to start with a booklet from the United States Environmental Protection Agency titled “Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Guide to Radon”. [ Back to General Home Information ] Schedule Your Inspection Today