Do you own a home? If so, you probably know to regularly have your heating inspected, to fix plumbing issues, and to replace batteries in your smoke detector throughout the year. How much do you know about local radon mitigation and abatement in your house, though? This is not a topic as frequently discussed for homeowners. However, it is just as important in ensuring that you and your family are safe and not exposed to harmful radon throughout the year.
Interested in learning more about the important of local radon testing and how radon in your home can cause serious problems? Keep reading for more information on the dangers of radon and for statistics from the Environmental Protection Agency on radon exposure.
4 Facts to Know About Why Local Radon Mitigation and Abatement Are Important
There are plenty of repairs to do around your home in any given year. Do not forget to add radon gas testing to the list as you do not want your family exposed over long periods of time to this dangerous element. Here’s everything you should know about radon and why you should always know how to pass a radon test.
1. Statistics on radon levels in homes
After investigating homes in seven states, the Environmental Protection Agency found that one in three homes had screening levels that demonstrated radon was too high in the house. This meant that many people in these states were at risk just from living in their homes since they were unaware that the radon levels were higher than they should be.
Overall, it is estimated that one in 15 houses throughout the country are likely to have radon over 4 pCi/L, which is the EPA’s recommended action level when there is radon exposure in a home.
2. Lung cancer
One of the main concerns with radon exposure is the possibility that it can lead to lung cancer. Approximately 20,000 people die from lung cancer due to radon exposure in the United States each year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General’s Office. Next to smoking, radon exposure is the second leading cause of why people get lung cancer in the United States.
If the exposure was reduced, there could be a decrease by 2 to 4 percent in the number of deaths from lung cancer.
3. Radon detectors
One way to improve local radon mitigation and abatement is through the installation of radon detectors in your home. When reaching out to a local radon mitigation and abatement service in your town, you can begin working on installing these detectors.
Statistics show that if you install short-term detectors, these can be used for two days to 90 days to determine the levels of radon in your home. You can also opt for a long-term test which will detect the levels in your home for more than 90 days. Then, the average concentration will be found to determine radon exposure.
4. Passive systems of mitigation
If your home has radon levels that are too high, you can work with radon mitigation services to lower these levels so it is safe for you and your family. One way to do this is through passive systems of mitigation like radon ventilation fans. The level of radon inside your home can be reduced by up to 50 percent if you go this route. This means your home’s radon levels will be reduced to an approved amount by the Environmental Protection Agency making it safe to live in your house.
When working with residential radon testing services, they can handle all the hard work for you. After testing the radon levels in your home, they can determine the next steps to take to help lower radon levels in your home through tools like ventilation fans. Additionally, they can set up detectors so that you can know the next time radon levels are too high increasing your chances of high exposure and potentially lung cancer.
