Radon Gas: Linking To the Facts
April 1st, 2009
Learning that there is Radon Gas at elevated levels in your home, or the home you are buying, is never a good thing. It gets worse because most people are not very knowledgeable about what Radon is!
This post collects data from several sources to make you an educated consumer.
First and foremost, radon gas is naturally occurring and is in the air all around us. When found to be at excessive levels, there are methods and companies out there to guarantee a solution to the issue. So take a deep breath and read on (ha-ha)…
What is Radon?
The EPA estimates that over 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen.
Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air. Thus far, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than are adults.
A Little Perspective
Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. It causes an estimated 160,000 cancer deaths in the US every year. (Amer. Cancer Society ‘04)
Radon is the distant second cause of lung cancer. It is responsible for a total of 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year, with 2,900 of these people never to have smoked.
Secondhand smoke is estimated to cause 3,000 lung cancer deaths each year, coming in at the third leading cause.
How to Measure Radon levels?
Basically, a testing kit costing $25-$50 gets left open in your basement for 48 hours and then you send it out to a lab for analysis. There are also options to hire a pro to take care of it for additional costs.
Click here for the detailed list of testing instructions
A Safe Level of Radon – Not So Fast!
The EPA defines a level of 4.0 pCi/L or above in a living level to be “actionable”. There are a lot of scientists out there looking at radon data. I find it amusing sometimes sifting thru these links. Our health and safety is not something to laugh about, but scroll down this link to look at this EPA Grid summary:
Take 1000 non-smokers and subject them to a radon level of 8.0 pCi/L over a “lifetime”, and there would be a statistical 15 people who would get lung cancer.
The risk of cancer from this radon exposure compares to 4 times the risk of dying in a fall.
First the summary, than the links so that all you “engineer-types” can read it too.
Even radon below the 4.0 pCi/L readings can increase your lung cancer risks. You may have to be subjected to it for 20 years, but it will certainly increase the odds.
University of Iowa researchers summarized an 11-21% increased lung cancer risk with 3.0 pCi/L radon concentrations over an exposure period from 5-30 years.
Here is the link for your reading pleasure: North American Study Press Release
The Stern Warning from our Government (aka the EPA)
Unfortunately, many Americans presume that because the action level is 4 pCi/L, a radon level of less than 4 pCi/L is ‘safe’. This perception is altogether too common in the residential real estate market.
In managing any risk, we should be concerned with the greatest risk. For most Americans, their greatest exposure to radon is in their homes; especially in rooms that are below grade (e.g., basements), rooms that are in contact with the ground and those rooms immediately above them.
Everything You Ever Wanted to Learn About Radon
By The EPA
Radon Mitigation System Inspection Checklist -
By The Amer. Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI)
Radon in Drinking Water EPA Site
Radon in Drinking Water Scientific Data
By National Academy of Sciences
Link to a Radon Bookstore By The EPA
Map of Radon Zones in Massachusetts
Accustar Labs - Medway MA Testing Lab
Whole Listing of Toxins in a Home - Money Magazine Jan 09
Radon Mitigation Companies in MA - By NRPP
Ed Daniels of Re/Max Executive Realty and The MAhome Team works in the Metrowest Boston market and would be available to discuss any questions you may have by calling his team at 508-341-7880.
Categories: Real Estate
This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 at 4:54 pm and is filed under Real Estate. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
