Radon Gas Health Effects

You may have noticed a national awareness campaign that is warning consumers about the dangers of radon poisoning. The effort comes from The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which has newspaper ads and billboards all over the country that show close-up black and white photos of various people wearing bright green socks. One set of billboards says, "Living Green Starts from the Ground Up: Test your home for radon." It's an appropriate message, because radon comes up into our homes naturally from the ground.

Significance

• Public awareness about radon is important because radon is around us all. It is found naturally in the earth, so most people wouldn't think anything of it. According to the EPA, Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. Once in your home, it can be dangerous to you and your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually

Global Attention

• The issue is so important that the EPA is joining the World Health Organization's (WHO) first global call-to-action on cancer risk from radon in homes.

  These two organizations created a publication, "Handbook on Indoor Radon," which represents the collaboration of 30 countries to understand and overcome the dangers from radon. The handbook demonstrates a consensus that radon is a global public health risk.

Radon in the Home

• "Most radon-induced lung cancers occur from low and medium dose exposures in people's homes," reports Dr. Maria Neira of the WHO.

  The concentration of radon in a home depends on several factors: the amount of uranium in the underlying rocks and soils; the routes available for the passage of radon into the home; and the rate of exchange between indoor and outdoor air, which depends on the construction of the house, the ventilation habits of the inhabitants, and the sealing of windows.

  Radon enters homes through cracks or gaps in the floor, small pores in hollow-block walls, and through sump pumps and drains. Radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars or other structural areas that are close to the soil.

Prevention/Solution

• There are many things you can do to reduce the amount of radon in your home. The WHO offers these suggestions: increase under-floor ventilation, install a radon sump system in the basement, seal floors and walls, and install a positive pressurization or ventilation system.

Think Before You Build

• The best way to prevent radon poisoning in any home or apartment building is install a mitigation system during construction. This can certainly be added later, but it's much easier and more cost effective to do it while the house is being built.

  In some countries, these prevention measures are mandatory. Passive systems of mitigation are capable of reducing indoor radon levels by up to 50 percent. When radon ventilation fans are added, radon levels can even be reduced even further, according to the WHO.