Radon

Radon is a huge issue in today’s modern homes.  Why is it so dangerous?  Well for starters it is a colorless and odorless gas.  It is safe to say, a large portion of home owners do not even know about radon, or its many dangers to you and your family.   Surprising almost every home in the United States has radon in at least some concentration.  What is most surprising, is radon is the number two leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and Canada.  It is only surpassed by smoking.  Meaning if you do not smoke, this is your number one cause of potential lung cancer.  Experts recommend to detect this gas in your home, put a detector in for at least 90 days. 

There is no way of knowing if your home contains radon without actually testing.  Your house may have a very low radon level, while the house just next-door may have a very high level.  There are however certain landscapes that have a higher than average radon level.  Also homes with basements are more prone to increased radon levels.  This is because the source of radon is the soil/bedrock.  Now how would one go about correcting this?  Well you would need to install and exhaust fan.  This will actually pull air out from under your house or basement and exhaust it.  It is a fairly easy install and almost always remediates the problem.  Radon concentrations are usually built up under the concrete slab/foundation of a home.  The point of exhaust is important because the gas needs to be expelled at a point that will not make re-entrainment an issue.  Meaning the particles find their way back into the home somehow.   It is ok to have some radon in the atmosphere.  In fact, it is literally everywhere in the world.  The danger is centered on the fact that your house is a closed structure.  Meaning it has not way to escape.  This is when you see harmful concentrations, especially if you have a basement.  Some suggest simply opening up your windows, which seems overly simple but actually works. However this is not as effective as a proper exhaust fast but better than nothing.  Although in rather extreme ends of the climate spectrum, both hot and cold, that is not very ideal.  Properly sealing the foundation of your home will also help prevent radon exposure.  But why is radon so dangerous anyway.  Well due to the type of radiation it is, it usually doesn’t penetrate the body.  However when your are breathing it in it is a much different story.   Think of this as if you are ingesting it.  The part of the body it comes in contact with mainly is the lungs.  Because this is a very small particle it makes its way deep into your respiratory cavity.  This is a good representation of how the smaller the particle is, the more dangerous.  Once in the lung it comes in contact with the cells.  We know that this, just like any other source of radiation can cause cancers and abnormalities.  This is a slow process due to the concentrations, but you are in your home quiet often.  This means you are getting a steady does all the time, which is why it is so dangerous.