Radon Gas is now listed as the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. behind cigarette smoke. Recent studies confirm that radon gas causes over 20,000 American deaths each year.
Approximately 8 million American homes have elevated radon levels. The Surgeon General is urging all homeowners to test their homes for this Group A carcinogen.
Radon is a gas that is formed naturally when uranium in rock, soil and groundwater breaks down. The Radon gas then finds its way up to the surface. Unlike other forms of pollution or dangerous gasses, you can neither see nor smell Radon.
Typically, Radon escapes from the ground outdoors where it is dilluted by fresh air. However, it becomes dangerous when it is trapped indoors and accumulates to hazardous levels.
Below your home, radon gas collects and seeps upward and enters through openings in the foundation or through the pours of the concrete. New homes may have less cracks in their basements, but since they tend to have better insulation they tend to trap the gasses in the house which increases the risk.
About one in every 15 homes in the US has excessive Radon levels, and in many cases, the problem is identified when a home is sold. In worst case scenarios, the problem is identified after an occupant develops lung cancer.
The technology that is used to reduce radon levels in homes that are contaminated is known as radon mitigation. "Radon levels can be reduced by about 99% by installing a fan assisted radon mitigation system in the home" according to Jamey Gelina, a certified radon reduction technician at Air Quality Control Agency. - 15437
Approximately 8 million American homes have elevated radon levels. The Surgeon General is urging all homeowners to test their homes for this Group A carcinogen.
Radon is a gas that is formed naturally when uranium in rock, soil and groundwater breaks down. The Radon gas then finds its way up to the surface. Unlike other forms of pollution or dangerous gasses, you can neither see nor smell Radon.
Typically, Radon escapes from the ground outdoors where it is dilluted by fresh air. However, it becomes dangerous when it is trapped indoors and accumulates to hazardous levels.
Below your home, radon gas collects and seeps upward and enters through openings in the foundation or through the pours of the concrete. New homes may have less cracks in their basements, but since they tend to have better insulation they tend to trap the gasses in the house which increases the risk.
About one in every 15 homes in the US has excessive Radon levels, and in many cases, the problem is identified when a home is sold. In worst case scenarios, the problem is identified after an occupant develops lung cancer.
The technology that is used to reduce radon levels in homes that are contaminated is known as radon mitigation. "Radon levels can be reduced by about 99% by installing a fan assisted radon mitigation system in the home" according to Jamey Gelina, a certified radon reduction technician at Air Quality Control Agency. - 15437
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