San Diego home inspection FAQs: Should I have my home tested for radon?

I don't get very many questions about radon, probably because San Diego County as a whole doesn't have radon problems, which is kind of ironic since we have a lot of granite, quartz, and sand in the county. I have no explanation other than to say that radon research is ongoing.

Whenever I get asked this question, my first reponse has to be, "If you're concerned about it, then get a test done."

Radon is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless radioactive gas that forms from the decay of trace amounts of uranium that occurs naturally in soil. Generally, radon is not a significant problem in San Diego County like it is in other areas of the country. There are, however, some isolated pockets of radon problem areas in the County. If you're concerned about radon levels, check the California web site for your zip code. If you need help in analyzing the data provided by the State of California, please feel free to contact me.

Radon is a fairly new issue, so sometimes there isn't enough data to be statistically significant, yet the data that is available can make it look like there is a significant problem. For example, if your zip code indicates that there is a high level of radon, but only one test was done, the results might be skewed or not even relevant.

There has been a recent scare over radon emanating from granite countertops. Personally, after doing my own research on the issue, I think the radon scare is similar to the mold scare from several years ago. Nonetheless, do your own research and make your own decision.

Following are some helpful websites, of which I think the first one is the most complete. Remember, though, that there are no standardized methods for testing radon although the EPA and the Marble Institute of America are in the process of developing some. So any research needs to be looked at in the context of who paid for the research. If it's someone ranting and raving, sometimes people get an issue on their mind and they just have to vent about it even though they haven't done their own research or don't understand the research that they have read. So this is one of those "caveat emptor" areas.

1. Radon and granite: http://www.radon.com/radon/granite.html
2. CBS News: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/25/earlyshow/health/main4292754.shtml
3. Granite countertops and radon: http://greenbuildingelements.com/2009/02/20/granite-countertops-radon-what-the-granite-industry-doesn%E2%80%99t-want-you-to-know/
4. Fight heats up: http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/05/14/fight-over-radon-in-granite-countertops-heats-up/
5. Rational discussion: http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/05/14/fight-over-radon-in-granite-countertops-heats-up/
6. Granite recipe: http://www.webmd.com/lung-cancer/news/20080730/granite-countertops-a-recipe-for-danger
7. Marble Institute of America: http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/granite_radoninfo.cfm
8. Radon and granite issue: http://www.merchantcircle.com/blogs/Tribuzio.Home.Inspection.Services.Inc..708-456-1423/2009/1/The-Radon-and-Granite-Issue/172611
9. The truth: http://www.stoneexpozone.com/p72.php3?id_noticia=78
10. Indoor Air Quality: http://iaq.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/iaq.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5103
11. Home and Garden: http://www.mlive.com/homeandgarden/index.ssf/2009/01/granite_countertops_radon_risk.html
12. Inhabitat: http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/07/28/granite-linked-to-high-levels-of-radon-gas-exposure/
13. Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/granite.asp
14. Natural Stone Restoration Alliance: http://nsraweb.com/index.php/Newsflash2/Radon_In_Granite_Causes_Cancer.html

 

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