|
Radon
What Is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring, chemically
inert, radioactive gas. Because radon is chemically unreactive with most
materials, it is free to travel as gas. It can move easily through very
small spaces, such as, between particles of soil and rock. Radon is odorless,
invisible and without taste; thus, it cannot be detected with the human senses.
Why Test For Radon?
The New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection states that radon gas is considered to be the #1 pollutant in the
home today. Every home should be tested to make sure the radon levels are
within acceptable limits.
| g |
Zone 1 |
Highest Potential (greater than 4 pCi/L) |
| g |
Zone 2 |
Moderate Potential (from 2 to 4 pCi/L) |
| g |
Zone 3 |
Low Potential (less than 2 pCi/L) |
Zone map courtesy of EPA
Where is radon found?
All rocks contain some uranium, although most contain just a small amount.
Certain types of rock, including granites, dark shales, light-colored volcanic
rocks, sedimentary rocks containing phosphate, and metamorphic rocks derived
from these rocks, have higher than average uranium contents. The radon gas
from the soil can enter a home or building through dirt floors, hollow-block
walls, cracks in the foundation floor and walls, and openings around floor
drains, pipes and sump pumps.
Radon is more concentrated in the lower levels of the home (i.e.,
basements, ground floors and first floors). Radon problems have been
identified in every state. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
estimates that one in 15 homes in the U.S. has an elevated radon level.
Any home may have a radon problem. The Surgeon General and the EPA
recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.
What are the Health
Effects?
Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in your
lungs when you breathe. As they break down further, these particles release
small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer
over the course of your lifetime.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, resulting in
approximately 14,000 lung cancer deaths every year, according to the U.S. EPA.
Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and
the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many
years.
Like other environmental pollutants, there is some uncertainty about the
magnitude of radon health risks. However, we know more about radon risks than
risks from most other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of
radon risks are based on studies of cancer in humans (underground miners)
exposed to radon. This is unlike many other substances which have data only
from animals studies.
Smoking combined with radon is an especially serious health risk. Stopping
smoking and lowering a high radon level are the best ways to help prevent lung
cancer.
Children have been reported to have a greater risk than adults of certain
types of cancer from radiation, but currently there are no conclusive data on
whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.
Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on:
| How much radon is in your home.
| The amount of time you spend in your home.
| Whether you are a smoker or former smoker. |
| |
How is radon measured and
what levels are "too high"?
Radon is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi\L) of air. And the U.S. EPA
recommends that action be taken to reduce radon levels if the annual average
is 4 pCi/L or higher.
For more information about radon
in New Jersey, follow this link.
NJ Radon Information
| 
