Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, is a silent threat that can seep into homes and pose serious health risks to you and your family. Long-term exposure to radon is linked to various health effects, such as lung cancer and damaged lung tissue, which should be taken very seriously.
As a homeowner, you’ll definitely want to know more about the long-term health effects of radon exposure, radon inspections, and the various radon mitigation methods.
The Hidden Danger of Radon
Radon is a gas that is colorless and odorless, which makes it difficult to identify on your own. This gas is produced by the natural decay of naturally occurring uranium in water, soil, and rocks. Radon can enter your home through small cracks in the foundation, through well water, and even small gaps in construction materials used to build your home.
Prolonged exposure to radon can increase the risk of developing lung cancer due to its radioactive nature, and is actually the main cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
The Main Health Risk
Lung cancer is the top long-term health effect due to radon exposure, which is why this radioactive gas is taken so seriously. When you inhale radon gas, there are tiny radioactive particles that can get trapped in your lungs without you knowing about it. These particles are responsible for damaging your lung tissue over time, which is what causes lung cancer. While smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, radon makes up as many as 14% of lung cancer cases according to the World Health Organization.
The Role of Radon Testing
Radon testing plays an important role in identifying and mitigating radon in your home. It is possible to measure the amount of radon found in the air inside your home, which can identify a potential problem before you see the long-term effects on your health. High radon levels can help justify the need for radon mitigation services to address the issue to landlords, insurance companies, and local government authorities.
The Radon Inspection Methods
There are a couple methods that can be used to inspect your home for radon. A basic technique involves placing testing devices in strategic places where radon levels are likely to be high. This typically means testing in the basement, where radon gas is most likely to seep into your home. The testing devices are left for several days, and then analyzed to determine the amount of radon in the air.
Continuous radon monitoring is another option, which provides real-time data on the amount of radon in your home. It’s a much more detailed way to test for radon, since it records the various fluctuations of radon in the air. The data can then be analyzed by a professional to determine if the levels of radon in the air are not safe and need to be addressed.
The Radon Mitigation Methods
You’ll need to take steps to mitigate the radon in your home if you discover that there are high levels of this dangerous gas in the air.
Crawl space encapsulation is a viable method when you don’t have a basement, since it will create a barrier to prevent radon gas from getting into your home from the soil beneath it. The entire crawl space will be sealed off so that the radon gas can be ventilated out of your home in a safe manner.
Sub-slab depressurization involves creating a suction point underneath your home’s foundation, which can draw out the radon gas before it enters your home.
Positive pressure ventilation is a method where filtered air is used to create positive pressure in your home, which prevents the radon gas from seeping inside.
Reach out to Quality Pest Control if you need assistance with a professional radon inspection.