Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless and tasteless. Radon gas has many ill-effects and they show their impacts on human health. Radon causes 100 times more deaths every year than carbon monoxide poisoning. Radon is the result of soils uranium decay. As this process occurs polonium is released and this creates radon’s toxicity. Unfortunately radon often becomes unnoticed because of its translucence. Radon may be a big problem in your home. According to a survey radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US. If you smoke and your home has high radon level then you’re at high risk for developing lung cancer. Some scientific studies reveal that children may be highly sensitive to radon. This may be due to their high respiration rate and their rapidly dividing cells, which may be more vulnerable to radiation damage. The atomic radius is 1.34 angstrom and it is the heaviest known gas, it is nine times denser than air.
Radon is a single atom gas and it easily penetrates many common materials like leather, plastic bags, concrete block, wood paneling and most insulations. Radon is fairly soluble in water and organic solvent. Radon is considered a noble gas that occurs in several isotopes. Among them radon-222, and radon-220 are found in significant concentration in human environment. It is radon-222 that is most readily occurring in the atmosphere. The primary routes of potential human exposure to radon are inhalation and ingestion. Radon in the ground, groundwater, or building materials enters working and living spaces and disintegrates into its decay products. Testing is the only way to know your home’s radon levels. There are no immediate symptoms that will alert you to the presence of radon. It typically takes years of exposure before any problems surface. Radon is a national environmental problem. There are many testing and radon mitigation resources available to save your life.
Radon enters your home through the following leeks they are cracks in solid floors, construction joints, and gaps, in suspended floor, cracks in wall, and water supplies or cavities inside wall. They accumulate in your building through all these leeks. A radon minimizing expert can help you to reduce the level of radon in your home. If you live in radon rich area then you have to look for radon mitigation to save your life. A radon mitigation specialist can recommend the best and most cost-effective method available for a given structure to remove the threat of radon.
A qualified radon mitigation specialist will be able to tell you exactly what he needs to do to your home to reduce the radon level in your home. Radon is hazardous to your health so take all the preventive measures to save your life from radon exposure. Install a radon mitigation system in your home and save your family from the exposure of the deadly toxic radon gas. The month of January is National Radon Action Month according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Posts tagged ‘Mitigation’
(1888PressRelease) November 2010 is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Jamey Gelina, A radon specialist with Air Quality Control Agency of Denver Colorado, suggests that all homes should be tested for radon gas. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, so Lung Cancer Awareness Month is an ideal time to test. If radon levels are 4.0 or higher, a radon mitigation system will fix the problem.
Denver, CO – According to The Environmental Protection Agency, radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Health agencies throughout the United States are urging Americans to test their homes for this deadly gas during National Lung Cancer Awareness Month. This year, November has been designated as the month to take action to prevent lung cancer.
About a year ago, The World Health Organization announced a new action level of 2.7 pCi/l for indoor radon. This is a 32% reduction from the previously accepted limit of 4.0. This new guideline was prompted by a recent compilation of studies submitted by scientists throughout the World which conclusively point to radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. Based on the new 2.7 threshold, millions of homes will require radon remediation work to reduce radon levels.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of deaths throughout the World are caused by exposure to radon. This new plan of action by the World Health Organization will save millions of lives by prompting homeowners toward radon reduction. More than 100 scientists from 30 countries participated in the World Health Organization International Radon Project and assisted in the publishing of the Handbook on Indoor Radon which was released earlier this month. The book is a useful resource for concerned homeowners or anyone who wants to learn more about the toxic carcinogen known as radon. It outlines the years of research and the very conclusive findings that have triggered a push for stricter legislation and construction practices that will reduce the risk of lung cancer from indoor radon exposure.
“All homes should be tested for radon regardless of the geographic location or type of construction. Since radon gas cannot be detected by human senses, the only way to know if a home has a radon problem is to conduct the test,” according to Jamey Gelina, President of Air Quality Control Agency; one of North America’s leading radon mitigation companies. His Agency has fixed radon problems in over 20,000 buildings and houses. “We have performed mitigation work for countless families who have been victims of radon-induced lung cancer which could have been prevented if they had been advised of radon testing before they purchased their homes,” Mr. Gelina added. Jamey has worked with homeowners across the country to help them reduce their exposure to radon including Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. “Radon problems are not isolated to these areas. Elevated radon levels have been found in every state in the U.S.” Gelina added.
The good news is that radon testing is easy and inexpensive. When elevated levels are detected, there are proven remediation methods that can reduce the radon to acceptable levels. Take advantage of Lung Cancer Awareness Month (November 2010) as an opportunity to get your home tested for this silent killer. The health of your family could be at risk, and the only way to know is to test. Learn more about radon gas, the health effects associated with exposure, and how to reduce the levels within your home.
