If something is colorless, odorless, and otherwise undetectable by human senses, is it really a cause for concern? When it comes to radon, the answer is definitely yes! Just because you can’t see or smell it doesn’t mean the effects are any less real. If you’ve been paying attention to the Radon Gone blog recently, you’ll know that radon has the potential to cause some lasting and dangerous health concerns. After all, radon is second, behind only cigarette smoking, as a leading cause for lung cancer. Fortunately, the potential health hazards posed by radon can be greatly lessened with a few preparatory and proactive steps. To begin with, regular radon testing can show whether the levels of radon in your home are within normal limits or if they’re too high. And, if testing does show higher than normal levels of radon in your home or business, radon mitigation can help reduce those levels.
What Are Unsafe Levels?
Technically speaking, there is no truly ‘safe’ level of radon gas. Radon is the result of radioactive decay that emits radon particles into the atmosphere. Those radon particles then attach to other particles in the air, things like dust or pollen, and can thus be inhaled. Because it has been shown to cause cancer, radon is technically classified as a carcinogen. Additionally, radon is naturally occurring, which means there is little to no way to get rid of it entirely. What this all adds up to is that there aren’t any truly ‘safe’ levels of radon, but there are levels considered normal or ‘acceptable.’ When we talk about levels of radon in a home or business, the levels in question are generally phrased in terms of acceptable levels or unsafe levels as denoted by groups like the Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) and the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). The general guideline is that two to four pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air) is when it’s recommended to get your home fixed. Four pCi/L and above, the E.P.A. says you should take proactive measures to reduce the amount of radon in your home.
How Radon Mitigation Works
If you do have elevated radon levels in your home or business, radon mitigation is the umbrella of options intended to help reduce the amount of radon in the air to an acceptable level. Radon is a gas, so it can easily filter in through cracks in a building’s foundation or walls. It can also seep in through rocks and soil to enter into well water. Radon mitigation options are designed to look at how radon is entering your home and take measures to funnel it away from the building. Radon mitigation techniques have been developed over the last few decades, so some options can be up to 99 percent effective — again, it’s a gas, so it’s pretty much impossible get rid of it entirely without completely sealing off your home.
In Colorado, one of the most common methods of radon mitigation involves active soil depressurization and mechanical ventilation. When the radon is being emitted from the soil below and around a house, active soil depressurization works to vent radon away from the foundation and walls. In the event that radon is coming from the actual materials used to build the house, mechanical ventilation steps in to help reduce radon in the home.
If it’s been a while since your last radon test, now’s the time to get testing to ensure your home is at acceptable levels. The radon specialists at Radon Gone can help with everything from testing to mitigation for your Broomfield or Denver home. Contact us today to get started!