Radon Reduction Systems | FAQ's About Radon


Frequently Asked Questions About Radon

Q.	What is the 'acceptable' level of radon?
A.	The US EPA has established the "action level" for deciding when you need to "do something" about the radon in your home, school, or work place is 4 pCi/l. pCi/l= picocuries per liter, the most popular method of reporting radon levels. For those interested in the numbers, a picoCurie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity. One pCi/l means that in one liter of air there will be 2.2 radioactive disintegrations each minute. For example, at 4 pCi/l there will be approximately 12,672 radioactive disintegrations in one liter of air, during a 24-hour period. 4 pCi/l is the level accepted by most states and US territories, except for New Jersey. New Jersey's DEP has tried to establish 2 pCi/l as the acceptable action level in their state. In other countries, the action levels range from 150 Bq m³, that is slightly less than 4 pCi/l (Bq=bequerels is an international method of measuring radiation. Again, you can view a conversion schedule from some or our 'scientific links'.) up to 'no limit' or preset action level. For example, in Canada the "suggested" action level is 800 Bq m³. You can read or download a copy of the US EPA's A Citizen's Guide to Radon This publication goes into greater detail describing the meaning of your radon test results and what your personal hazard from the exposure may be. You can read some the varying opinions of what the action level should be by visiting some to the links on our "Radon Links" page. Or if you want to know what the US EPA's "Official" position is, go to the EPA's Radon Health Risks Frequently Asked Questions
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Q.	I'm thinking of buying a home with a radon mitigation system in place. What should I look for in order to make certain is working properly?
A.	You may want to call in a licensed radon mitigation contractor and ask that he inspect the system. You can get a list of the approved contractors from your state radon officer. Their phone number is listed at State Radon Contacts.
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Q.	What are the advantages or disadvantages to having a radon mitigation system?
A.	The primary advantage is that you will have lower in-home radon levels if the system was installed correctly and it is operating properly. A secondary advantage, at least in many parts of the world, is that you will see a much lower level of humidity (dampness) inside the building, especially in houses with basements or slab-on-grade floors. The type of mitigation system will be a factor in this situation. In other words, if the system is an active "sub-slab-suction" design or has incorporated a vapor barrier over the bare soil, then this may be one of the additional benefits. In many cases, we have heard of folks getting rid of their dehumidifier after seeing how dry the basement was after switching on their mitigation system. One of the disadvantages is that you will pay a small energy penalty with an active design because of the energy required to run the small fan. (Most will only draw about 50 watts.) There is also a small amount of reverse flow of inside (conditioned) air that you may have paid to heat or cool. Another possible problem, in a poor installation, is that you may be able to hear the fan running. Fortunately, this complaint is seldom heard and if it is, it is usually easily fixed.
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Q	We are thinking of selling our house and buying another. Where can we get some guidance on what to do about a potential radon problem at either location?
A.	You can download a copy of the EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon This pamphlet is loaded with testing suggestions and other information that you should find very helpful.
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Q.	How do you test for radon and can I do it myself?
A.	The fastest way to test for radon would be to call in a local professional home inspector who offers a radon testing service. The cost to have a professional conduct your radon test may run as high as $300.00, according what part of the country your are in. However, if you choose to conduct the radon test yourself, you may be able to find a do-it-yourself test kit at your local hardware store or home center. The average retail price runs form $20 to $30 while the mail order price is usually less than $10. Most do-it-yourself test kits are very easy to use. If someone takes five minutes to study the simple instructions, their chances of doing it right the first time are better than 99%. In other words, most problems occur simply because the user did not read the instructions or they got in a hurry and forgot to put their name and address on the sample or they overlooked sealing the sample before shipping it to the lab.
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Q.	What are the most commonly used radon testing methods?
A.	There are two main methods used to test for radon gas and radon daughter products. The most popular involves the use of a "passive" device such as an activated charcoal test kit which collects radon gas atoms for counting later in a laboratory or an alpha track device that has a small strip of special plastic that is "marked" when hit by radon's alpha particles (also counted later in a laboratory). Another passive device called an electret has a plastic disc with a static charge. This type is only used by professional radon inspectors because of the expertise required and the expensive equipment needed for analysis. The other main method involves the use of an "active" device called a CRM (continuous radon monitor). These are mostly used by professional radon inspectors for short-term (two days or 48 hours) radon testing during a real estate transaction. There are many different models of CRMs, too many to discuss in this medium, but they all require some formal training in order to be used properly. The biggest differences between these radon testing methods (passive and active) are the cost and the level of expertise required for proper operation. The only devices suitable for the do-it-yourself radon tester are the activated charcoal test kits and the alpha track detectors. Simplicity, ease of use and low cost are the reasons more than 250,000 of the devices are used by the general public each year to test their homes and work places. Their main purpose is for a radon screening measurement by homeowners who want to know if there is a potential radon problem in the home. The US EPA has established a guideline for do-it-yourself radon test kit accuracy of +/- 25%. This equates to +/- one picocurie at the EPA's action level of 4 picocuries per liter of air in the home. This level of accuracy is easily accomplished when using most do-it-yourself devices, IF the user carefully follows the instructions By far the most popular is a screening test that uses an activated charcoal test kit. It is estimated nearly 95% of all the radon testing in the US is conducted this way.
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Q.	Are there other symptoms or health problems, other than lung cancer that are associated with radon gas exposure?
A.	We receive this question from a lot of folks who have been suffering from various health problems and the basic answer is THERE ARE NO SHORT-TERM RADON EXPOSURE SYMPTOMS that have ever been documented. At least not at the levels you are likely to see in a home, school, or office. Also, YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY OTHER bodily symptoms such as joint pain, stomach or intestinal problems, headaches, or rashes from short-term radon exposure at natural environmental levels. It will take years of exposure at relatively high levels before you are likely to have ANY symptoms and then the only known (documented) symptoms are the same as those listed here for smoking induced Lung Cancer Symptoms.
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Q.	Where can I find some information about other types of radiation?
A.	This link will take you to The Radiation Information Network..This site is maintained for the use by anyone with interests in radiation. All of the material has been reviewed and is believed to represent the current consensus of the facts on radiation and radiation protection.
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Does radon come from any of the building's material?

There may be a few building materials that will emit small amounts of radon gas such as granite, concrete, gypsum board (sheet rock), bricks, and field stone. However, this is RARELY the case. This is because most such materials are very dense. This means that if there is some radon producing radium in these materials, only a small amount of the radon gas, near the surface, ever makes it out into the environment. Most of the radon gas decays away while trapped below the surface.

(Radon gas has about a 92 hour half-life and in 8 half-lives most of it is "dead.")

In almost all cases of elevated indoor radon levels, the culprit is the underlying soil. However, we have heard of a few homes that have all the walls built of stone, that have almost NO indoor radon and a few that have elevated levels. It is not easy to determine if the radon is coming from only the walls or if it is a combination of the walls and the underlying soil. To know for sure requires a skilful tester using some expensive equipment.

What is the risk of Radon exposure?

Scientists believe radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. when radon decays, it shoots off alpha particles. These are small, heavy, electrically charged, subatomic particles consisting of two protons and two neutrons. If an alpha particle strikes the chromosomes in a lung cell, it could alter the way that cell reproduces. Our bodies immune system should recognize and destroy these mutant cells before they can multiply over the next 10 to 20 years into a recognizable cancerous growth.