Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. killing over 21,000
people per year. Radon gas testing is suggested for every house by the EPA.
There is reliable technology to measure and reduce the amount of radon gas in homes.
Radon Gas, Lung Cancer, and Radon Testing in Michigan
On this page:
- About radon gas, lung cancer and radiation sickness
- Radon gas levels and its accumulation in homes
- Radon gas testing and inspections
- Our fees for radon testing and inspections
About Radon Gas, Lung Cancer, and Radiation Sickness
Radon is a radioactive gas that has no color, no smell. Produced by the radioactive decay of radium
that originates in uranium, it comes from underground as a gas or in well water.
Radon gas is present throughout the earth, but more concentrated in some areas then others.
Radon gas accumulates in basements, especially during the winter.
The most disastrous effect of radon is lung cancer. It is estimated that 21,000 lung cancer
death per year are caused by radon in the United States. Lung cancer is not the only effect of
radon on the human body, every organ, including the skin, is affected by
radiation. The levels of radon radiation are low enough that no immediate
effects are noticed, the effects can appear many years later.
It is well known that intensive radiation of any source, disturbs function and causes cancer of many organs,
and very intensive radiation causes radiation sickness that can kill people,
or animals, within months after the exposure. Radiation particles are the same
whether they come from radon gas or any other radioactive material. There is no
such a thing as safe level of radiation, but, the lower the level and duration
of exposure the lesser the effects, and at very low levels the effects are not noticeable.
Lung cancer due to radon gas could develop 5 to 25 years after the exposure.
Medical and science authorities, in the U.S. and worldwide, have established the correlation
between radon gas and lung cancer; this does not mean that everyone exposed to radon gas
will develop lung cancer. The determining factors are radon concentration or the
intensity of the radiation, and the time of exposure.
Radon Gas Levels and Its Accumulation in Homes
In the United States,
the outdoor radon gas level is approximately 0.4 Pico Curies/liter (pCi/L)
while the indoor level averages 1.3 pCi/L. Radon gas levels of 4 pCi/L or higher
are considered dangerous and require intervention. Indoor levels can be lowered
to 2 pCi/L or below with proper systems.
As mentioned above, the levels of radon produced underground varies by region and even
from county to county. In the same neighborhood, radon gas levels also vary form house
to house. The determining factors are:
- The type of foundation - radon gas accumulates more in basements as opposed
to open crawl spaces or concrete slabs
- Type of materials used for construction - more porous materials allow more radon entrance
- The age of the house - in older homes we find more deteriorated materials
- Presence of openings in the foundation or basement floor - sump pumps, foundation cracks
- Ventilation - the rate of air exchange in a basement will influence the rate of radon accumulation
We cannot change the amount of radon produced underground but we can modify or completely
remove some of the other determining factors. There is well developed technology to test and
lower the level of radon in houses.
Radon Gas Testing and Inspections
A radon inspection will establish:
- The factors that favor radon accumulation in your home.
- The improvement or repairs that need to be done in order to minimize the accumulation of radon.
Radon testing (radon measurement) will establish:
- The radon gas levels in your home over a period of 48 hours.
- Whether a mitigation company should be hired or not. (We do not perform mitigation; thus,
there is no conflict of interest involved.)
Home owners can also test radon gas by themselves. There are discount test kits that
could be purchased at local construction department stores, hardware stores, or on the internet.
The cost ranges from $7.99 to $35.00. The discount test kits are based on charcoal,
and their accuracy is approximately 60 to 65%; this means that 3 or 4 out of 10 give erratic readings.
The Electret Ion Chamber and Continuous Radon Monitors.
- The electret ion chamber has a reading accuracy of 94%. A side by side reading
with 2 chambers will insure a 100% accuracy. The cost for
electret ion chamber measurements range from $100 to $130.
- The continuous radon monitors use Geiger-Muller radioactivity detectors.
They read radiation levels continuously and make hourly averages. The Geiger-Muller
detector
is the only device that measures radioactivity directly, all other methods use
indirect measurements. The cost for continuous radon monitors
ranges from $125 to $150.
Because radon gas levels vary from hour to hour; the Environmental Protection Agency
recommends that measurements should be made for at least 24 hours.
For more accuracy it is better to measure radon levels for 48 hours.
