US EPA
Is radon really bad for you?
Breathing radon over time increases your risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Nationally, the EPA estimates that about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.
Therefore, every residence should take advantage of radon testing, which is simple, cost-effective, and also lifesaving, the organization states. Some granite counter tops may subject people to different degrees of radon.
Radon airborne is taken into consideration to be a larger health and wellness hazard than radon in residential water so the United States Environmental Protection Agency suggestion is to not examine for radon in water https://radon1.com/commercial/ unless a radon in air test is over the action level. Nonetheless, some US states, such as Maine where radon levels are higher than the national average, suggest all well water needs to be examined for radon. The United States government has not set an action degree for radon in water.
Is radon mitigation really necessary?
When radon gas enters the body, http://Radon1.Com it exposes the lungs to small amounts of radiation. In small quantities, experts say this is harmless. However, in persistent exposures or larger quantities, radon can damage the cells of the lining of the lungs, increasing a person's chance of developing lung cancer.
It can additionally be launched from building materials or through water stemming from radon-contaminated wells, according to the National Institutes of Wellness (NIH). Radon levels can be higher in houses and structures that are well-insulated, snugly sealed or improved soil rich in the radioactive components uranium, radium and also thorium.
- Your danger of lung cancer enhances considerably with exposure to greater radon levels.
- Radon gas is a naturally-occurring by-product of the radioactive decay of Uranium in the soil.
- Depending on your geographical location, the radon degrees of the air you breathe beyond your house may be as high as 0.75 pCi/L.
- The nationwide average of outside radon levels is 0.4 pCi/L and it is estimated by the National Academy of Sciences that exterior radon levels cause roughly 800 of the 21,000 radon generated lung cancer deaths in the United States annually.
- The US EPA has placed it clearly, stating, "Any radon direct exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer cells.
January is National Radon Action month as well as the Epa is asking house owners to "save a life" by testing for radon and also fixing any problems they locate. Radon is a contaminated gas and exposure to it triggers 21,000 lung cancer cells deaths each year-- only smoking creates extra. Because you can not see, smell or taste radon, it's important to regularly examine the air in your house.
What are the symptoms of radon in your home?
If a person has been exposed to radon, 75 percent of the radon progeny in lungs will become "harmless" lead particles after 44 years. When an alpha particle damages a cell to make it cancerous, the onset of lung cancer takes a minimum of 5 years but most often 15 to 25 years, and even longer.
In a residence with forced air cooling and heating, radon gas can quickly be dispersed throughout the entire home. When radon gas is discharged via a radon reduction system above the roofing, the radon focus falls off dramatically with range from the factor of discharge. Actually, the radon gas focus comes close to background levels at 3-4 feet from the discharge factor.
How long does it take for radon to cause cancer?
Fact: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you've lived with an elevated radon level for a long time. Keep in mind that radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose some risk and that radon levels can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below in most homes.