Radon Hazard & Remediation Guide

RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION - Radon Hazards in buildings: Radon Health Effects, Radon Measuring, Radon Remediation Procedures
- Health effects of exposure to radon gas in homes - a consumer summary
- Table of Lung Cancer Risk from Exposure to Radon
- Table of lung cancer risk from radon exposure in air or water
- An easy guide to Radon Remediation in Homes
- Best methods for remediating an indoor radon gas hazard
RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION - home
Guide to Measuring Radon - separate article
Effects of Radon on Home Sales - separate article
How to Remove Indoor Radon - separate article
Radon Hazard in Underground Homes - separate article
Radon Enviro-Scare - separate article
Questions & answers abour radon gas harzards in buildings: the risks, the effect on real estate values, and the remedies for a radon problem.
References

Click to Show or Hide Related Topics

InspectAPedia tolerates no conflicts of interest. We have no relationship with advertisers, products, or services discussed at this website.

Radon gas hazards in buildings: health effects of radon, how radon levels should be measured, and how to correct unsafe indoor radon gas levles. This article includes a review of the impact of radon gas contamination levels in air or water on real estate sales and property values. We include a table of risks comparing radon to other health and safety hazards and we provide links to eight detailed articles that will accurately and fully inform you about radon gas, the risks, and the remedies.

Radon Hazards in buildings: Radon Health Effects, Radon Measuring, Radon Remediation Procedures

This article series includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. See ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings.As detailed in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas released from the breakdown of uranium and radium, which is found in rocks and soil and sometimes in water. The gas enters the house primarily through cracks and gaps in the foundation, floor drains, and sumps, and concentrations build up indoors. Radon can also enter the home through well water and be released during showering or other uses. In rare cases, it is found in masonry building materials. Radon is thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking (Table 7-6).

Radon is drawn into buildings by the stack effect and by depressurization from mechanical equipment. During warm weather when the stack effect is reduced and buildings are often well-ventilated, indoor radon levels are usually one-third or more lower. Also, levels in the basement are typically over twice the level on the first floor.

Health Effects of Exposure to Radon

Radon gas breaks down into short-lived decay products that can be inhaled either unattached or attached to other particles in the air and penetrate deeply into the lungs. According to its 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes, the EPA estimates that radon causes about 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the U.S.

This makes radon the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, where an estimated 1 out of 15 homes has elevated levels. The cancer typically occurs 5 to 25 years after exposure, and the risk goes up dramatically if the person is also a smoker (see Table 7-6, Lung Cancer Risk from Radon Exposure, below).

Lung Cancer Risk from Exposure to Radon

Table of lung cancer risk from levels of radon exposure - US EPA

Levels of Radon in Drinking Water

System for removing radon from water (C) Daniel Friedman

While much less of a problem than airborne radon, radon in water is also a concern. If indoor radon levels are high and the household uses well water, the water should also be tested. In general, every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in household water contributes about 1 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) of radon to indoor air level.

The radon gas is released from the water when it is aerated during showering, washing dishes, or laundering. There also may be an increased risk of stomach cancer from swallowing the water.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, ventilating bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms is usually adequate to reduce risks from radon in water.

However, where water levels are high, the radon can be removed by aeration treatment or carbon filtering.

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

Detailed Articles about Radon: detection, correction, & prevention in buildings

  RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION
    Health Effects of Radon
    Guide to Measuring Radon
    Effects of Radon on Home Sales
    How to Remove Indoor Radon
    Radon Hazard in Underground Homes
    Radon Enviro-Scare

See Radon Enviro-Scare for a full discussion of the normal cycle of public fear that accompanies the discovery and publicity of various environmental hazards, including radon gas and see Enviro-Scare, the Cycle of Public Fear for our article about consumer environmental safety worry cycles that change over time.

For a Thorough Background in Radon Hazards, Radon Mitigation, & the History of Radon Concerns in the U.S. also see these articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

"Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 1 - William Turner, Terry Brennan, Solar Age Magazine Radon and its progeny are the slipperiest pollutants in the indoor environment, but there are simple ways to keep radon and its relations at bay.
"Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 2 - what is radon, where does radon come from, how does radon get indoors, and why is radon a problem in buildings.
"Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 3 - standards for airborne radon levels in buildings and recommended levels of radon for action, how radon is best detected, and radon action plan.
"Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 4 - radon prevention advice for new construction, radon in well water - how it is removed, sources of information about radon gas and radon contamination.

"Defeating Radon" part 1- Terry Brennan, Bill Turner, Solar Age Magazine - How does radon get into buildings, how do I know if a building has a radon gas problem, how can I solve radon problems in existing homes, and what can I do to prevent radon from entering new homes. Part 1: where Radon comes from, how to diagnose radon
"Defeating Radon" part 2- Guide to keeping radon out of new houses - design details
"Defeating Radon" part 3- Key spots to seal, to stop radon gas leaks into buildings
"Defeating Radon" part 4- Data on radon levels in buildings before & after radon mitigation treatment
"Defeating Radon" part 5- Air filtering, testing after radon mitigation, where to buy radon tests

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

...

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Questions & answers abour radon gas harzards in buildings: the risks, the effect on real estate values, and the remedies for a radon problem. .

Ask a Question or Enter Search Terms in the InspectApedia search box just below.

Technical Reviewers & References

Related Topics, found near the top of this page suggest articles closely related to this one.

RTCA, the Radon Testing Corporation of America, is in Elmsford, NY - 800-457-2366
US EPA Radon level maps for the United States (747 K PDF file) - US EPA data on radon risk by geographic area - original source http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html
Granite Countertops and Radiation Hazards, U.S. EPA (PDF), retrieved 12/15/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/tenorm/granite-countertops.html

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.

The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 25th Ed., 2012, is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume. Special Offer: For a 10% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference Book purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space. InspectAPedia.com editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author.

Or choose the The Home Reference eBook for PCs, Macs, Kindle, iPad, iPhone, or Android Smart Phones. Special Offer: For a 5% discount on any number of copies of the Home Reference eBook purchased as a single order. Enter INSPECTAEHRB in the order payment page "Promo/Redemption" space.

Building inspection education & report writing systems from Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd

Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Amazon.com and also Wiley.com. See our book review of this publication.
...


	InspectAPedia^®	Question? Just ask us!	InspectAPedia
Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair

Question? Just ask us!

Free Encyclopedia of Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, Repair

Radon Hazard & Remediation Guide (function() { var po = document.createElement('script'); po.type = 'text/javascript'; po.async = true; po.src = 'https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(po, s); })();