InspectAPedia®   -   Search InspectApedia

Radon mitigation system as installed, outside view (C) Daniel Friedman Radon Hazard & Remediation Guide

  • POST a QUESTION or COMMENT abour radon gas harzards in buildings: the risks, the effect on real estate values, and the remedies for a radon problem.

Radon gas hazards in buildings: What are the health effects of radon, how should radon levels be measured, and what are the best steps to correct unsafe indoor radon gas levels in buildings..

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.

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

- Daniel Friedman, Publisher/Editor/Author - See WHO ARE WE?

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

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.

Article Contents

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

"The lifetime risk of radon-induced lung cancer is 62 per 1,000 ever-smokers versus 7 per 1,000 never-smokers (4). " (Hahn et als, 2019).

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 (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) .

US EPA Radon Zone Map

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.

This article series includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction (Steve Bliss, J Wiley & Sons) , by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons.

Radon Gas Hazard PDFs

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.


...

Continue reading at RADON HAZARD in UNDERGROUND HOMES or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Recommended Articles

Suggested citation for this web page

RADON HAZARD TESTS & MITIGATION at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.


Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to BUILDING INDOOR AIR QUALITY IAQ

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

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. .

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Search the InspectApedia website

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.

Comment Form is loading comments...

IF above you see "Comment Form is loading comments..." then COMMENT BOX - countable.ca / bawkbox.com IS NOT WORKING.

In any case you are welcome to send an email directly to us at InspectApedia.com at editor@inspectApedia.com

We'll reply to you directly. Please help us help you by noting, in your email, the URL of the InspectApedia page where you wanted to comment.

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

  • Bergen, AW, N Caporaso. Cigarette smoking. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 91, 1365-1375, 1999
  • Centers for Disease Control. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Atlanta, Ga. Cigarette smoking among adults—United States 1993. 1995.
  • Janet Gaskin, Janet, Yunyi Ethan Li1 , Marcel Brascoupé2 , Liang Grace Zhou Field study measurements evaluating radon concentrations under different ventilation scenarios [PDF] in Retrofitting the Building Stock: Challenges and Opportunities for Indoor Environmental Quality PROCEEDINGS (2024)
  • Hahn, Ellen J., PhD, RN, Amanda T. Wiggins, PhD, Kathy Rademacher, BA, Karen M. Butler, DNP, RN, Luz Huntington-Moskos, PhD, Rn, Mary Kay Raytens, PhD, FRESH: Long-Term Outcomes of a Randomized Trial to Reduce Radon and Tobacco Smoke in the Home [PDF] Preventing Chronic Disease, 2019;16:180634, local copy saved as Long-Term Outcomes of a Randomized Trial to Reduce Radon and Tobacco Smoke in the Home.pdf
  • Lantz PM, Mendez D, Philbert MA. Radon, smoking, and lung cancer: the need to refocus radon control policy. Am J Public Health. 2013 Mar;103(3):443-7. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300926. Epub 2013 Jan 17. PMID: 23327258; PMCID: PMC3673501.

    Excerpts:
    Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and the risk is significantly higher for smokers than for nonsmokers. More than 85% of radon-induced lung cancer deaths are among smokers.

    The BEIR VI model also purports a significant synergism between radon exposure and smoking in lung cancer risk. On the basis of BEIR VI, the EPA estimates that, at a radon level of 4 pCi/L, the lifetime risk of radon-induced lung cancer death for never-smokers is 7 per 1000, compared with 62 per 1000 for ever-smokers. Lung cancer risk is greater at higher levels of radon exposure.

    For example, with a lifetime exposure of 10 pCi/L, the risk of radon-induced lung cancer is 18 per 1000 for never-smokers and 150 per 1000 for ever-smokers. Several community case–control studies confirm the BEIR VI model results. The literature demonstrates clearly that the public health problem of radon is, for the most part, a problem of radon and smoking.

    Because cigarette smoking greatly increases the risk of radon-induced lung cancer, the majority of radon-related deaths are among smokers.
  • RTCA, the Radon Testing Corporation of America, is in Elmsford, NY - 800-457-2366
  • US EPA, 1991 International Symposium On Radon And Radon Reduction Technology: Volume 2, Preprints,(1991) Session III: Measurement Methods, Session IV: Radon Reduction Methods
  • 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
  • US EPA, RADON MEASUREMENTS in SCHOOLS, an Interim Report [PDF] (1989) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation Programs, Washington D.C. 20460, NSCEP, at Nepis.epa.gov, local copy saved as Radon-Measurement-in-Schools-EPA.pdf

    Excerpts:

    EPA has suggested an action level of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) for residences based largely on the ability of current technology to reduce radon concentrations to that level or below.

    The risk associated with a lifetime exposure to a radon level of 4 pCi/L is roughly equivalent to that associated with smoking ten cigarettes per day.

    The Indoor Radon Abatement Act of 1988 sets a national goal of reducing annual average indoor radon concentrations to as close to outdoor levels as possible (Approximately 0.2 to 0.7 pCi/L).

    EРА is in the process of developing technologies to meet this goal. In addition, the EPA is currently revising the Citizen's Guide to reflect different action levels with their associated risks. Radon exposure in homes has been identified as a national health problem.

    By 1988, EPA had assisted 17 states in making short-term "screening" measurements of radon concentrations in homes. The results of these State surveys indicate that one out of four homes in these seventeen states have screening radon levels above the EPA action level of 4 pCi/L.
  • Granite Countertops and Radiation Hazards, U.S. EPA (PDF), retrieved 12/15/2010, original source: http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/tenorm/granite-countertops.html
  • Weinstein, Neil D., Peter M. Sandman,Paul Miller, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY ABOUT RISK MAGNITUDES, PHASE TWO Location on the Page, Units of Exposure Magnitude, Simultaneous Presentation of Two Hazards, and Other Hypotheses, (1991), Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, archived by the US EPA NSCEP. Local copy saved as Radon-Hazard-Communication-Weinstein.pdf

    The authors discuss the utility of comparing radon hazards to smoking hazards when communicating risk to people.
  • WHO, Radon, Key Facts (2023) World Health Organization

    Excerpt: Radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke. In fact, smokers are estimated to be 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers.
  • 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.
  • In addition to citations & references found in this article, see the research citations given at the end of the related articles found at our suggested

    CONTINUE READING or RECOMMENDED ARTICLES.

ADVERTISEMENT