Is It Safe to Buy a Home With Raised Radon Levels?

US EPA

Is radon really bad for you?

Breathing radon over time increases your risk of lung cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Nationally, the EPA estimates that about 21,000 people die each year from radon-related lung cancer. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths.

You'll encounter extremely low enhanced danger of establishing lung cancer due to radon if you can maintain your interior radon degrees at 2 pCi/L or lower. Just two non-smokers out of 1,000 will certainly develop lung cancer particularly due to the direct exposure when you reach the 1.3 pCi/L level that is normal for interior air.

The EPA sets the degree of dangerous radon gas exposure at or over 4 pCi/L. If your home has actually radon gas degrees surpassing this activity level, it's advised that you go through reduction initiatives to lower direct exposure. If screening reveals a much greater level, you'll definitely require reduction as well as may need a lot more extensive improvements to seal off the resource of the gas.

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Is radon mitigation really necessary?

When radon gas enters the body, it exposes the lungs to small amounts of radiation. In small quantities, experts say this is harmless. However, in persistent exposures or larger quantities, radon can damage the cells of the lining of the lungs, increasing a person's chance of developing lung cancer.

The US EPA has placed it clearly, specifying, "Any kind of radon direct exposure has some threat of causing lung cancer. Radon gas is a naturally-occurring byproduct of the radioactive decay of Uranium in the soil. Depending on your geographical area, the radon levels https://telegra.ph/discover-radon-screening-09-01 of the air you take a breath outside of your residence might be as high as 0.75 pCi/L.

  • Your danger of lung cancer increases considerably with direct exposure to higher radon levels.
  • Lung cancer cells risk climbs 16% per 2.7 pCi/L boost in radon direct exposure.
  • Radon gas is a naturally-occurring by-product of the radioactive degeneration of Uranium in the soil.
  • Depending upon your geographic place, the radon degrees of the air you take a breath outside of your residence might be as high as 0.75 pCi/L.
  • The national average of outside radon levels is 0.4 pCi/L and also it is estimated by the National Academy of Sciences that exterior radon degrees cause around 800 of the 21,000 radon caused lung cancer cells deaths in the US every year.
  • The United States EPA has put it clearly, mentioning, "Any radon exposure has some danger of triggering lung cancer cells.

How do you eliminate radon?

Possible symptoms include shortness of breath (difficulty breathing), a new or worsening cough, pain or tightness in the chest, hoarseness, or trouble swallowing. If you smoke and you know you've been exposed to high levels of radon, it's very important to quit smoking.

January is National Radon Action month and the Environmental Protection Agency is asking home owners to "conserve a life" by screening for radon and also dealing with any kind of problems they discover. Radon is a radioactive gas as well as exposure to it creates 21,000 lung cancer cells deaths annually-- just smoking cigarettes causes much more. Because you can not see, scent or taste radon, it's important to periodically check the air in your home.

Just how dangerous is radon gas?

You angle understand whether your house has harmful levels of the gas unless you have the air checked since you angle see or scent radon. However, if examinations show that radon is putting you as well as your family at risk, you can take some straightforward steps to clear the air.

How long does it take for radon to cause cancer?

Fact: You will reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you've lived with an elevated radon level for a long time. Keep in mind that radon levels below 4 pCi/L still pose some risk and that radon levels can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or below in most homes.