Where Does Radon Gas Come From?
Radon is prevalent throughout the United States, especially in areas with large uranium deposits. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that approximately one in 15 homes have high radon levels.
When moving into a new home, most people have it inspected and tested for radon. This test protects you and your family from the odorless gas. This gas in your home jeopardizes your health, so you should regularly test for it to prevent adverse effects.
If you’ve ever had a failed radon test, or if this is the first you’ve heard of it, you might wonder where radon comes from. Understanding this will help you know how to protect yourself from this harmful gas.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that has radioactive properties. Small amounts of this colorless, odorless, tasteless gas are found in the atmosphere, where it is generally not dangerous. But it becomes toxic when trapped indoors, and overexposure causes many health problems.
Where Does Radon Come From?
Radon gas is found in the Earth’s rocks, water, and soil. It releases from uranium and radioactive decay, rises through the ground, and enters your home after attaching to other particles in the air. It can filter into your house through the following:
● Cracks in your walls or floors
● Cracks in your foundation
● Construction joints
● Gaps around service pipes
● Wells
● Gas appliances
● Other openings big enough for gas to move through
All homes are susceptible to radon gas regardless of location, condition, or age, so radon testing is crucial.
Every rock has traces of uranium, with some having higher concentrations than others. Granite, limestone, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks have significant amounts of uranium. The parts of the country where these rocks are common are more likely to have higher radon levels.
Indoor Radon
Indoor radon concentrations can vary between buildings for several reasons. Ventilation, construction techniques, climate, and geology affect the levels of gas filtering into the space. It does not dilute indoors and quickly accumulates in enclosed spaces.
Radon in Water
Radon can accumulate and dissolve in drilled wells or water pumps where uranium is available in high concentrations. This use causes radon to be released into the air when the water is used to wash laundry or take a shower.
Radon in Building Materials
Building materials naturally produce trace amounts of radon. However, some materials create a significant risk for radon exposure. These materials have high levels of radium and are porous, allowing the radon to escape. Typical materials that release radon include:
● Brick and mortar
● Concrete floors
● Cinder block walls
● Sheetrock
● Gravel for heat sumps
● Stone products
Using these materials during construction increases your risk of radon exposure.
Radon in Natural Gas
Natural gas naturally occurs underground and contacts uranium and soil, which continually releases radon. The radon moves through distribution pipes with the natural gas, making its way into homes across the country. It is released into the indoor air as gas burns in furnaces, fireplaces, heaters, stoves, and water heaters.
Workplace Radon
Radon can be found in many indoor workspaces, but the most commonly affected professions are in a workshop, office, tunnel, or mine.
Underground work sites often have elevated radon levels because of limited ventilation and geological conditions. Above-ground locations, like schools, museums, factories, and shops, may have higher levels because of the amount of radon found in the soil.
What Parts of the United States Are Affected by Radon?
Radon can be found practically anywhere. However, certain parts of the United States are at greater risk of having elevated levels. The EPA created radon zones and a corresponding map to help homeowners understand whether they are more or less likely to be affected by this gas.
The Radon Zones Map was published in 1993 to help identify areas with the most significant chances of having elevated indoor radon levels. The country is divided into three zones, with Zone 1 having the highest potential for radon exposure. Most of Zone 1 covers the Midwest but extends into parts of the Northeast.
Zone 3 has the lowest potential for exposure and covers most states stretching from Texas to Florida, with a few areas from the west coast sprinkled in.
What Part of the Home Is Most Commonly Exposed?
Radon rises through the soil and dramatically affects the parts of your home that are underground or closest to the ground. Crawl spaces, basements, and cellars are hot spots for this toxic gas. However, that doesn’t mean the upper levels can’t be affected. High radon levels may be found on your home’s second and third levels.
Risks Associated with Radon Exposure
Radon quickly accumulates in closed spaces, like crawl spaces. It’s a radioactive gas, so when you inhale it, it penetrates the lining of your lungs and gives off radiation. There is no safe level of exposure. The more radon exposure you have, the more likely you are to develop adverse effects.
Eventually, cells become damaged, leading to lung cancer. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers and the second cause after cigarette smoking.
Why Radon Seems Like a Recent Problem
Believe it or not, radon isn’t a new problem. Exposures have always caused lung cancer. In the late 1400s, miners developed an illness that was called “mountain sickness.” In the 1800s, it was decided that “mountain sickness” was lung cancer.
Radon was discovered in the 1900s, and finally, in the 1980s, it was determined that radon was a problem throughout the mines but also in many homes. Since then, radon testing has been crucial to addressing the issue and installing radon mitigation systems.
Our modern lifestyles expose us to radon more frequently because we spend most of our time indoors. This increases our risk of overexposure. Because of new efforts to raise awareness, radon may seem like a sudden problem.
How to Tell if It’s in Your Home
The only way to know for sure whether radon is in your home is to have a radon test administered. These tests can be long-term or short-term, with results determined by a certified measurement laboratory.
Many professional radon testing companies throughout the United States complete testing using an electronic radon monitor. These technicians must complete a radon proficiency program to become certified to administer a radon test.
Electronic radon testing devices measure radon levels by the hour for approximately 48 consecutive hours. This test provides information to show fluctuations over time and provides an average radon level in inhabited areas of the home. A professional radon test will give the most accurate results.
Once you have your radon test results, you’ll know whether the gas concentration in your home is safe. You’ll see whether you need to take action. If the test reveals high radon levels, your technician may recommend having a radon mitigation system installed to lower the levels.
Radon Mitigation
If you’ve recently had a radon test and failed, you must lower the high levels. Having a professional radon mitigation system installed is the ideal way to reduce high radon concentrations. These systems use a fan to continuously pull air from the soil and transfer it outside through a pipe near the roof’s edge.
This pipe can be outside or inside the home, but it constantly vents outdoors, away from windows.
Safeguard Your Home Against Radon
Are you concerned that your home may have a high concentration of radon? You need a professional radon technician to administer a radon test. Rapid Radon Relief is the experienced Denver team ready to help you protect your family. We have knowledgeable technicians who are certified and highly skilled in the field.
We provide quick turnaround times for our services and use high-quality materials in our mitigation systems that won’t deteriorate. You’ll get a ten-year fan warranty and a lifetime warranty on the system. Trust Rapid Radon Relief to make sure your home is safe.
