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What Is Radon?: The Facts You Need to Know
We all take great pains to protect our homes from everything from burglary to house fires. Most of us sleep well at night, knowing that we have taken care of the most visible threats. For some Utah residents, however, there may be an invisible threat to homes and families that most people do nothing about.
When is the last time you thought about radon in your home or office?
Radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer, right after cigarettes. It has no scent and no color, and can slowly accumulate over time. You may be exposing your family or employees to this toxic material regularly without even realizing it.
But what is radon, and is there any way to get rid of it upon detection? Read on to learn about this substance, and how Wasatch Radon Mitigation Services can help you mitigate it.
What Is Radon Gas?
Radon gas is a naturally occurring substance found all over the world. It is radioactive but inert. You are unlikely to know if you’ve come into contact with radon gas as it is colorless, odorless, and disperses rapidly.
Radon becomes dangerous when it concentrates indoors. It frequently does this in homes or other buildings with cracks in the foundation. Frequent exposure can lead to pulmonary symptoms in healthy adults and children, even causing lung cancer.
Where Does Radon Come From?
Because radon is naturally occurring, we find it on nearly every continent.
Soil and rocks are full of radioactive elements. On their own, these elements don’t do much. Over time, however, every element will decay, and this process causes problems for humans.
Radon forms when the element uranium begins to decay. Every element has its own decay chain and will become many different, mostly harmless elements over time. During its life uranium will become lead, thorium, and, finally, radon.
We find uranium in most rocks, including the crust of the earth. As we cannot see it decay, we do not know when radon may be present. Because people build homes on or around natural, rocky foundations, radon exposure is always a threat.
Where Is Radon Found?
After the natural decay of uranium, the radon gas will disperse into the air. Out in nature, this is not a problem. The earth is large, and radon gas is only dangerous when concentrated.
Radon is most likely to enter buildings through holes or cracks in a building’s foundation. If a building is made with stone that contains elements in the uranium decay chain, it can also enter buildings that way. In some cases, radon may enter your building through your well water.
In most cases, radon will collect in the basement of your home, closest to the foundation. You will not “find” it there, however, as it is invisible to the eye. You can only determine the location of radon gas through testing.
Any home is theoretically at risk for radon gas exposure. It does not matter how old or new the home is. Your home does not even need to have a basement for radon to find its way into other spaces.
What Are Acceptable Radon Levels?
Outdoors, the average radon level is 0.4 pCi/L (or picocuries per liter of air). This level is not dangerous to humans or animals.
The EPA has put out a recommendation suggesting that you should consider mitigation when levels are 2.0 pCi/L or higher. The highest acceptable level of radon gas in a home is 4.0 pCi/L, but that amount is still technically risky. Any reading higher than 4.0 pCi/L is dangerous and at that point, you should make mitigation a priority.
The only way to reduce radon readings in your home is through professional radon mitigation services.
Is Radon Testing Necessary?
Many people believe that, even if radon has concentrated in the basement, they are safe if they do not go in the basement. They may feel that exposure is not a risk and avoid testing. The truth is that radon travels through your duct system and circulates throughout your home anytime you use your AC or furnace.
If you have a return duct in your basement, the risk of exposure increases.
Certain areas of the country will have higher radon levels than others, and that includes the Salt Lake region of Utah. Levels of radon in the rock and soil are dynamic and constantly changing.
To keep your family safe, it is best to test regularly, especially if you live in a radon zone, like SLC.
How Long Does a Radon Test Take?
Radon testing takes time, but the specific length will depend on the test. A quality test will take a minimum of forty-eight hours. For best results, some testing might take as long as three months, as it will account for fluctuations over time.
With this in mind, it is best to pursue testing early as a preventative measure. This will give you the best picture regarding whether or not you need radon mitigation services in your home.
Wasatch Radon Mitigation Services
You cannot see radon with the naked eye, and that’s what makes this sneaky substance so frightening. If you wouldn’t hand your child a cigarette, you owe it to them to test your air for this cancer-causing gas. If you want to be free of this threat for life, prevention is key.
So, what is radon? If you act quickly to mitigate the appearance of this gas in your home, you’ll never have to think about it.
Wasatch Radon Mitigation Services can help you protect your home or office from radon gas. They can help you test your space, plan a system, and mitigate the threat. Reach out today for a free radon test and take the first steps toward keeping your family safe!