The Effects of High Radon Gas Levels
Radon gas is odorless and colorless. It is a radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. It is difficult to detect. Traveling up from the ground to the air above, radon gas enters the home through cracks and holes in the drain pipes, floors, foundations, or even well water, and becomes trapped inside. As one of the heaviest gases, radon will typically build up at lower levels, such as the basement. Once in the home, radon may become somewhat diluted by fresh air that enters around windows and doors.
Radon Side Effects and Symptoms of Radon Poisoning
Any home, whether old, new, tightly sealed, drafty, with or without basements, can have a radon problem. Breathing air that contains high radon levels puts you at risk of lung cancer. One out of every fifteen homes in the United States suffers from overly high radon levels. Radon testing and following up with proactive measures is essential to your health.
- Spending 8 hours per day, for six months, in an environment with 4 pCi/l of radon will expose you to nearly 10 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows at the edge of a nuclear power plant.
- The majority of US EPA lifetime safety standards for carcinogens are determined based on a one in 100,000 risk of death. It is widely agreed that the risk of death for radon at 4 pCi/l is closer to one in 100. At the 4 pCi/l EPA action guideline level, when compared to any other carcinogen, radon is approximately 1,000 times the risk of death.
- According to the Surgeon General, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, ranking behind smoking.
- Approximately 21,000 deaths each year are attributed to radon gas exposure.
- Harmful levels of radon are found in all fifty states in the United States.
- Radon detection is simple, affordable, and can easily be completed by homeowners.
- If neighbors have tested for radon and found very low levels, do not assume that your home is safe.
- Every home has the potential for elevated radon levels. Even if you’ve taken extra measures to create a tightly sealed thermal envelope, it is always wise to perform testing.
Exposure to high radon levels can be detrimental to your health. Symptoms of radon poisoning include a persistent cough, difficulty breathing, chest pains, the coughing up of blood, and recurring respiratory infections. Radon gas inhalation is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. If you haven’t had your home tested for radon, contact the professionals at Radon Technology & Environmental. We provide affordable and simple radon removal solutions for elevated radon levels in and around Collegeville, King of Prussia, West Pittston, Exeter, Coatesville, Wilkes-Barre, Yardley, Mountain Top, Lansdale, Plymouth Meeting, Berwyn, Harleysville, Glenside & Newtown, PA.