Radon may be the leading source of cancer of the lung for non-smokers and also the second leading source of cancer of the lung for your general population based on the American Lung Association. The Surgeon General and EPA recommend testing for radon and reducing radon in homes which have high levels. Fix your house if your radon level is confirmed being 4 picocuries per liter, pCi/L, or maybe more. Radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose a threat, and in many cases could be reduced. If you smoke plus your home has high radon levels, your chance of lung cancer is very high.
In El Paso County, over 50 % of all of the homes tested between 2011-2015 had high amounts of radon. Radon levels vary greatly from home by. El Paso County and also the state of Colorado will be in “Zone 1” in line with the EPA. This implies hawaii and county have a very prospect of quite high radon levels.
The American Lung Association recommends that homes in Zone 1 be tested for radon and also the U.S. Surgeon General warns that radon will be the second leading cause of lung cancer in america. Radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels by as much as 99 percent but require special skills and knowledge to design and install.
It isn’t enough to undergo an exclusive skills program to become certified RADON inspector or mitigator! Just that understanding and skill links with college and expertise in a multi-discipinary approach can effectively mitigate this hazard with your homes. A simple certificate and patch for the shoulder just isn’t an indication of such experience. Who are you going to trust with your life?
Where Does Radon Are derived from?
RADON Gas is often a degradation product of Uranium, a radioactive element which is ubiquitous through the granite core with the Rocky Mountains.
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Why’s RADON Dangerous?
The U.S. Epa (US EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office have estimated that up to 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused each and every year by radon. Radon could be the second leading reason behind united states. Radon-induced lung cancer costs america over $2 billion dollars per year both in direct and indirect medical care costs. (According to National Cancer Institute statistics of 14,400 annual radon united states deaths – Oster, Colditz & Kelley, 1984)
In line with the US EPA, nearly 1 in 3 homes checked in seven states and so on three Indian lands had screening levels over 4 pCi/L, the EPA’s recommended action level for radon exposure. The alpha radiation emitted by radon is identical alpha radiation emitted by other alpha generating radiation sources like plutonium.
A household whose home has radon levels of 4 pCi/L is encountered with approximately 35 times the maximum amount of radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow if it family was standing beside the fence of a radioactive waste site. (25 mrem limit, 800 mrem exposure).
An grade school student that spends 8 hours daily and 180 days a year in a classroom with 4 pCi/L of radon gets nearly 10 x as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission allows at the edge of a nuclear power plant. (25 mrem limit, 200 mrem exposure).
Most U.S. EPA lifetime safety standards for carcinogens are established according to a One out of 100,000 likelihood of death. Most scientists agree the probability of death for radon at 4 pCi/L is around One in 100. On the 4 pCi/L EPA action guideline level, radon carries approximately 1000 times the chance of death as any other EPA carcinogen. You will need to be aware that the action level is not a safe level, because there are no “safe” amounts of radon gas.
More details about Radon Mitigation go this useful web page.