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Property Inspection Directory
(Radon gas, Radon Testing, Radon Mitigation Information)
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This page contains information about Radon Gas itself
along with information about the different types of Radon Tests and the devices and that are used to test for
Radon. Radon Mitigation techniques are also discussed for background information about how to resolve an elevated Radon
Gas problem.
Radon is a cancer-causing
radioactive gas.
You cannot see, smell, or taste radon. But it can be a problem
in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. The surgeon
General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the US.
If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk
of lung cancer increases dramatically.
Elevated
Radon is a serious health concern but also just a home repair.
This seems to be the best approach to elevated radon
levels for homeowners and home buyers. You would not move or not buy a home if it needed new cupboard doors, so have
the radon levels "mitigated" if they are tested and found to be elevated.
Surgeon General of the United States Health Advisory
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Indoor radon gas is a national health problem.
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Radon causes thousands of deaths each year.
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Millions of homes have elevated radon levels.
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Most homes
should be tested for radon.
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When elevated levels are confirmed, the problem should be corrected.
You cannot predict radon levels based on state, local and neighborhood
radon measurements. You should not rely on radon test results
in other homes in the neighborhood to estimate the radon level
in your home. Two homes side by side can have very different radon levels.
The only way to know your homes radon level is
to test.
Nearly 1
out of 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels (4pCi/l or above).
Elevated Radon levels can be found in most any home, even
High Rise condo's on the 20th floor. You do not have to have a basement to have elevated radon. Elevated radon
levels can be found in all parts of the country. In Florida about 1 out 7 homes tested have elevated radon levels,
some counties in southwest Florida "1 out 4 homes tested have elevated radon levels" (FL DOH). New homes and old home,
well sealed homes and drafty homes, any home can have a radon problem.
The EPA
recommends knowing the radon level of any home you consider buying.
If the home has elevated radon levels, have
the home mitigated. You should know that it is
much cheaper to test for radon than to fix elevated radon levels.
Public awareness has been growing about Radon and it's
effects on human health, naturally Radon testing in Real Estate transactions is becoming much more common. One company
is the "South" did about 300 radon tests in a year for Real Estate transactions four years ago, now they perform radon
testing in about 2000 homes a year for buyers.
THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW IS TO
TEST!
There are dozens of places for information on radon,
we have tried to list the most informative ones. We also have a "news" section at the bottom of this page, which
may be helpful.
EPA Links
A Citizen's Guide to Radon The guide to protecting yourself and your family from radon. This recently revised guidance offers
strategies for testing your home for radon and discussions of what steps to take after you have tested, discussions of the
risk of radon and radon myths. (CLICK HERE)
El Radón guía para su protección y la de su familia
Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon" This booklet is intended for anyone who is buying or selling a home, real estate
and relocation professionals, home inspectors and others. This revised edition includes several changes. (CLICK HERE)
Guía del Radon para el Comprador y Vendedor de Viviedas
Radon - A Physician's Guide: The Health Threat With A Simple Solution This booklet on radon has been developed for physicians
by the EPA in consultation with the American Medical Association (AMA) (CLICK HERE)
A Radon Guide for Tenants This guide, created by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) with EPA's review, is for people who
rent their apartments or houses. (CLICK HERE)
Radon in Schools (Second Edition) It is important that students, teachers and parents be aware that a potential radon problem
could exist in their school. (CLICK HERE)
Health Effects
Radon Risks & Health Effects (CLICK HERE)
NCI Analysis of Home Radon Studies Finds Small Increase in Lung Cancer Risk, in Line with Predictions from Miner Studies.
(CLICK HERE)
The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (CLICK HERE)
Exposure to residential radon a "significant" cause of lung cancer in women. (CLICK HERE)
Radon Testing
There are dozens of radon test devicies, some are short term and others are long term.
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Short term radon tests remain in home/structure from 2 to 90 days.
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Long term radon tests remain
in home more than 90 days.
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For Real Estate Transactions the short term is the quickest way to test a home
"Active" Radon Tests and "Passive" Radon Tests
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Active
radon tests are Continuous radon monitors, which are electronic, usually with hour by hour reading of the homes radon
levels. CRM’s should be calibrated annually.
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Passive radon tests just give you one number , the radon level (average) for the test period, minimum of 48 hours (EPA).
http://www.radongas.org/devices.htm
The continuous radon monitor is popular for the Real Estate
market because some also measures the temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure.
This helps detect any unusual readings of radon, temperature and humidity caused by closed house conditions not being
met during the test period. For short term tests the home must be in closed house
conditions 12 hours prior to the test and during the test. Brief entry and exit
are allowed, but doors and windows must remain closed. HVAC (furnace & AC) must be in the Auto mode, operated normally.
Occupants can live in the home during the test period.
For homeowners that want to test their own home or markets that
don’t justify the expensive CRM’s, the passive tests work very well for homeowners and professional testers/inspectors.
The EPA “Home Buyer’s
and Seller’s Guide to Radon”
is good reading for homeowner’s who are wanting to test their home and required reading for the professional radon tester.
( COPY availible on link above)
Many states have regulations for radon professionals, if you
hire someone to test your home; check with your states requirements.
Active
Radon Test Devices
Femto-Tech
Femto-Tech monitors
are use world wide by radon professionals. Femto-Tech
monitor has tilt sensors and measures the temperature, barometric pressure and humidity also.
This reduces “cheating” in real estate deals and helps indicate if someone accidentally left a door or
window open during the test. At over $4000.oo each you don’t have to plug
them, batteries are good from one annual calibration to the next. Femto-Tech
also has a lease program for professionals. http://www.femto-tech.com
The
Femto-Tech, Inc. model CRM-510LP is a precision airborne alpha radiation detection instrument based on the same field proven
pulsed ion chamber technology of previous models R210F and RS410F. Due to a unique patented electrometer and open grid probe
design, the model CRM-510LP is highly suited for a wide range of radon measurement applications. Because of the low current
requirements of the electrometer detector and on-board computer, the model CRM-510LP is truly a portable self-contained continuous
radon monitor that can read and store test data for eight days of stand-alone operation.
“After
performing over 10,000 tests in homes for elevated radon levels using a variety of tests. In our humble opinion the Femto-Tech
is at the top of the food chain when it comes to the CRM’s. Combine
the Femto-Tech with the 3 page color report with graphs etc. from Air Chek, Inc. and you have a great, easy to read report
delivered on line for a client.”
A Florida Department
of Health certified Radon Measurement Tech.
Radalink monitors are popular with home inspectors across the country. (The big green box) Radalink Monitors can detect unusual readings of radon, temperature and humidity
caused by opening the windows. Tilt and power sensors, so if someone unplugs the power or moves it you know. It has hourly
barometric pressure readings to help detect unusual radon levels due to extreme weather conditions.
Sun Nuclear / Honeywell
The inexpensive Sun Nuclear / Honeywell monitors are very popular
with inspectors everywhere. Most do not record climate conditions …. temperature,
humidity, & barometric pressure. This is a good monitor for the inspector who wants to upgrade from the passive
test to a monitor for Real Estate inspections.
Calibration
of test equipment is essential for any good radon test.
Calibration
Requirements for Radon Laboratories and Measurement Providers offering Analytical Services
Passive
Radon Tests
Homeowners or professionals
testers with a small market generally use a passive radon test. When professionals test schools, large multi-living complexes, assisted living facilities they use passive
tests. There are many test devices on the market, here are just a couple
of examples.
- Short term tests …. 48 hours to 90 days
- Long term tests …...90 days to a year.
Short Term Test:
One of the most simple to use with reliable
results is from Air Chek, Inc. www.radon.com
Long term test:
The Alpha Track from RSSI is very popular for homeowners
and radon mitigation warranty tests. Tests are in the home for more than 90 days, and you do not have to maintain closed
house conditions. (look at EPA's Homebuyers and Sellers Guide to Radon)
“RSSI's alpha-track monitor has other advantages. Unlike
short-term monitors, the alpha-track is unaffected by heat, humidity or delays in return to the lab. RSSI's monitor is more
accurate than other alpha-track monitors because of its larger chamber volume and detector size. The monitor's test material
is retained by RSSI as a record that can be re-analyzed at any time.” …. RSSI
To Top of Page
Radon Mitigation
(fixing elevated radon)
Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction How to Reduce Radon Levels in Your Home... You have tested your home for radon, but now
what? This recently revised booklet is for people who have tested their home for radon and confirmed that they have elevated
radon levels -- 4 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher (CLICK HERE)
Buying a New Home: How to Protect Your Family From Radon This introductory brochure provides basic information on radon-resistant
construction in new homes and directs the reader to more detailed information. (CLICK HERE)
Here are some brief descriptions of some of the radon systems
from RMS, for more detailed information go to the RMS web site; www.radonfix.com .
Mr. Gene Yacobacci from Radon Mitigation Services is one of the most experienced
radon mitigators in Florida. He has installed thousands of radon systems tru out Florida and other states.
(Active
Soil Depressurization)
Interior Installation
http://www.radonfix.com/index1.htm
“photo's and diagrams illustrate how these systems look when they are installed and what you do not
see once they are installed. Installation procedures are as follows. Example: A 1,500 square foot slab on grade home. A 4.5 inch hole is cored through the concrete floor, in sometimes more than one location but for simplicity purposes we show only one location.
Usually these locations are the corners of closets where the pipe can be concealed. Approximately 15 to 25 gallons of soil
is removed. Creating a"suction pit" or "suction point". A 4-inch PVC bushing is installed in the hole and 2 or 3 inch PVC pipe is installed and extends vertically to the attic space above. The pipe is attached to the intake side of a radon exhaust fan
which is mounted in the attic. If more than one point is necessary then the multiple pipes are first connected together in
the attic. Similar to a central vacuum system and then connected to the intake side of the fan. The fan must exhaust through
the roof using 3 or 4 inch PVC pipe, looking very similar to a typical plumbing vent. When the system is activated the fan
suction creates a slight negative pressure below the slab and draws radon gas to the suction pit and up the pipe and vents
it to the outside air where it quickly dilule” Radon Mitigation
Services
(Active Soil Depressurization)
Exterior Installation
http://www.radonfix.com/index1.htm
“a 1,500 square foot slab on grade home. A 4.5
inch hole is cored through the stemwall or monolithic footer from the outside just below the slab level. Low trauma equipment
is used to "tunnel" under the home. Creating a long suction point through the middle of the structure. 2 or 3 inch PVC pipe
is installed in the tunnel and sealed at the stemwall using expandable foam and concrete to create an air tight sea”
Other Radon Reduction Methods:
http://www.radonfix.com/index1.htm
1. "Mechanical Ventilation: ("Make Up Air")This method works on two principals, create a slight positive pressure
within the structure and also help dilute existing radon with the introduction of fresh clean outside air. This procedure
involves installing four to six inch air ducts from the exterior of the building to the return side of the air handler. When
the air conditioner is running it will draw fresh outside air into the system. A small fan may also be installed to assist
in the amount of air introduced to the system. This system is not recommended for structures with "high" levels of radon.
Example: 10 pCi/L or greater. This system can be effective in reducing radon levels but humidity should be a consideration.
This system should only be considered when ASD is not applicable. These systems cost less than ASD to install but cost slightly
more to operate."
end
HRV & ERV
In many areas a "Heat Recovery Ventilator" (HRV) or an "Energy
Recovery Ventilator" (ERV) is being used to lower radon levels. Newer homes are sealed "tighter" and many new building
products produce indoor air quality problems. The ERV and the HRV help to improve the homes air quality and in many
cases also reduce the radon levels.
The HRV & ERV is a type of mechanical equipment that has a
heat exchanger combined with a ventilation system for providing controlled ventilation into a home or building.
Dozens of companies produce HRV's & ERV's, among them are
Lennox, Fantex, RenewAire, and Stirling Technology, Inc..
For more information on Energy Recovery Ventilators and Heat Recovery
Ventilators look at the links below.
Lennox (CLICK HERE)
FanTech (CLICK HERE)
RenewAire (CLICK HERE)
Stirling Technology, Inc. (CLICK HERE)
University of Minnesota, Common Questions about Heat & Energy Recovery Ventilators (CLICK HERE)
Many States have regulations for Radon Businesses / Professionals.
You are advised as a consumer to know your state's requirements, if any.
An example is Florida & Nebraska below, and a news item from Pennsylvania.
Florida Adminstrative
Code: 64E-5.1203 General Provisions (1)
"Begining January 1,
1989, no person may test for or mitigate the presence of radon in Florida for a fee or other renumeration unless such person
has been certified."
"It is a violation
of Chapter 404, Florida Statutes and Chapter 64E-5, Florida Administrative Code to provide radon services without being currently
radon certified by the Florida Department of Health. Specialists and technicians must provide radon services only through
affiliation with a Florida certified radon business. Businesses and individuals will be fined for non compliance."
FL DOH
The Nebraska HHSS Radon Program ensures public health
by increasing public awareness of radon and its health risks and by administration of a licensing program for radon measurement
and mitigation businesses and individuals.
Consumers should be alert, it's common sense to ask to"see"
a contractor's license or required certification.
Wednesday, September 14, 2005: Radon services performed without certification, state says A 50-year-old Susquehanna Twp.
man has been charged with conducting radon testing without proper certification from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection. Criminal charges were filed against Richard Denman of the 400 block of North 32nd Street, owner and operator of
a home inspection business called North Systems.
States with some form of radon certification include: California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
To Top of Page
Orlando Sentinel
What are the causes of
lung cancer?
Dr.
Richard T. Bosshardt | Special to the Sentinel
Posted
December 3, 2006
Question: If I don't smoke,
what are my chances of getting lung cancer? After reading about Dana Reeve, the wife of Superman actor Christopher Reeve,
I learned of several others who got lung cancer but never smoked. Is this rare?
Answer: It depends on your definition
of rare. Every year, around 170,000 people in this country develop lung cancer. Although 90 percent have a smoking history,
the remainder are nonsmokers -- about 17,000 people per year. Not common, but not rare either.
Of that 10 percent, studies show nonsmokers who live with smokers have a 25
percent higher chance of developing lung cancer compared to other nonsmokers. Breathing secondhand smoke over time results
in 3,000 lung-cancer deaths each year.
After secondhand smoke, the second-highest risk factor in developing lung cancer
for nonsmokers is exposure to radon gas.
Radon gas is a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas that results from the
decay of radioactive uranium, which is found naturally in rocks, soil and water. Radon gas occurs naturally in the air and
ground and can enter homes through cracks in the foundation, pipes and other openings.
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency estimates that as many as 1 in 15 American homes may contain dangerous levels of radon gas. You can test for the gas
yourself by purchasing a kit available in most hardware stores, or you can have it done for you by contacting the local EPA
office for information. You also may go to www.doh.state.fl.us/Environ ment/community/radon.
If your home has high
levels, certain measures can reduce them by up to 99 percent. The most common one is installing effective ventilation systems
to remove the gas to the outside. An estimated 15,000 to 22,000 lung-cancer deaths a year are the result of radon gas. Smokers
exposed to radon have a much higher lung-cancer risk than nonsmokers.
Asbestos exposure is another risk factor in nonsmokers.
Although it is no longer routinely used in construction and insulation, plenty of asbestos remains out there, especially in
older buildings. Nonsmokers exposed to asbestos increase their lung-cancer risk fivefold. Smoking plus asbestos exposure increases
the risk to a much greater degree than either smoking or asbestos exposure alone. In addition to the typical lung cancers,
asbestos exposure puts one at risk for an unusual cancer of the lining of the lung, called a mesothelioma. Even a few months
of asbestos exposure can greatly increase this cancer risk.
Air pollution from automobiles, industry and power plants
also can increase risk. Some regard long exposure to highly polluted air as equivalent to secondhand-cigarette-smoke exposure.
Air pollution causes an estimated 2,000 lung cancer deaths per year.
People with certain chronic lung diseases, such
as emphysema, also are at greater risk of lung cancer.
Beyond exposure to environmental risk factors, some people have
a unique and innate predisposition to develop lung cancer. It is probably inherited genetically. If you have family members
with lung cancer, this may mean you might be at greater risk. Individual susceptibility to cancer-causing agents can vary
widely. This is probably why some people who smoke one or more packs of cigarettes a day for years don't get cancer, while
others do.
customer service (800) 881-7440
Bonita Springs / Naples, Florida
Property Inspection Directory does not guarantee
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Inspection Directory makes no guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, including but not limited to: the qualifications,
regulatory compliance or fitness of the home inspection, mold inspection, radon testing and radon mitigation or other companies
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inspection or obtain more information about home inspections, radon testing, radon mitigation, mold inspections, and mold
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