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Radon Environmental Issues

Radon Environmental Issues. Independently owned and operated. What Is Radon?. Radon is an odorless , tasteless, invisible gas It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and Canada, next to cigarette smoke

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Radon Environmental Issues

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  1. Radon Environmental Issues Independently owned and operated

  2. What Is Radon? • Radon is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas • It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and Canada, next to cigarette smoke • Radon comes from the ground and can be found in the air we breathe and the water we drink

  3. What Is Radon? • Radon comes from a natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock • It can be found in any home, school, office, public building • Highest risk from long-term exposure is your home, where you spend the most time

  4. Radon • The amount of radon in the air is measured in picocuries per liter of air or pCi/L • Two types of short-term testing methods 1. Active 2. Passive Source: Zone and legend map provided by EPA Web site

  5. Radon Testing Methods: Active • Uses active devices (electric power required) • Continuous radon monitors • Continuous working level monitors • Requires operation by trained testers • Provides a continuous report of radon levels present • Reveals unusual or abnormal swings in the levels during the test period • Costs more than passive device • Ensures a more reliable short-term test result

  6. Radon Testing Methods: Passive • Uses passive devices (no electric power needed) • Charcoal canisters • Alpha-track detectors • Charcoal liquid scintillation • Electret ion chambers (EIC)

  7. Radon Testing Guidelines • Testing device should be placed at the lowest living area of the home • Minimum test period of 48 hours • Ensure that the test is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or your stateor province’s requirement

  8. Radon Testing: Canisters • E-perm results can be calculated immediately upon retrieval of canister following the test period • E–perm uses EIC technology

  9. Radon Testing: Continuous Monitors • Instant results are available at the push of a button following the test period

  10. Radon Mitigation Systems What level of radon is unsafe? When should you mitigate the radon level in a house? • EPA Guidelines: • With active (continuous monitoring) testing, at 4.0 pCi/L or higher, the EPA recommends installing a radon mitigation system • With passive (canisters) testing, average the results of two canisters or average results from back-to-back tests, then mitigate if results are 4.0 pCi/L or above

  11. Choosing a Radon Mitigation System When selecting a radon mitigation system for your home, you and your contractor should consider several things: • How high the radon level is in your home's key living areas • The cost of radon mitigation system installation • Radon mitigation system operation costs • Your house size and type of foundation. In most cases, a system with a vent pipe and fan is used to reduce radon.

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