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Radon Gas - What's Okay?

Reblogger
Real Estate Agent with ERA Key Realty~Worcester County Realty Group 9079496

Thanks to one of my new friends in Mentor, OH, Christine posted this blog about Radon Gas. Almost all home inspectors ask prospective buyers about testing for it. Good information. Thanks again Christine!

Original content by Christine Pappas - REALTOR® 442805 Ohio

 

Radon Gas is found in every day life, but What's Okay?  

 

Radon Gas Trapped in Home

 

 

 

 

One of my buyers had a recent Radon Test done on a home they are purchasing, which I always recommend to do.  

Typically I do not use a Radon tester who also sells the systems - Bad vibes for me!  In this case, the general home inspector recommended a tester to my client whom I have never met before and my clients hired the tester based on the general inspectors recommendation.  

 

While we were at the house I quickly realized this tester also sells the systems, while warning bells are blaring in my head, I did not want to delay the inspection process for my clients, so I took a wait and see approach. 

 

Actually the levels came back in the  acceptable range  and the reading clearly states "PASS"  (the results are on the low end of the scale) When my client asked this tester if this was okay he answered them with an 'it's decent'  which now has them worried as can be.  

 

Now I have to ask, what is his intent?  To sell one of the systems?

 

I have spent some time educating them on Radon Gas and have referred them to the EPA sites for further clarification and comfort.

 

What's The Concern about Radon Gas?

As noted on the EPA site:

EPA estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is a form of ionizing radiation and a proven carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air.  

Radon Lung Cancer

 

No doubt this is very serious and should be treated as such, which is why I always recommend that people have a Radon Test completed.

 

With that being said, I don't believe that people should be made to worry and fret needlessly!  

 

Because of the serious health threat, I have had many clients who have had the Radon Test done and it has come back on the high end (close to 4.0 pCi/L) and I send them right away for a second opinion by an approved mitigator for our state, Ohio.  I've used the same mitigator for years as I've found him to be honest, trustworthy, dependable and reasonable.  

In this case, I feel the tester hired for this inspection is creating unwarranted worry and stress.   I want my clients to feel good about their decision so I recommended that they get further information on the government sites and I gave them the number to a few approved mitigators.  

 

Radon Heat MapHeat Map

Already a homeowner and wondering if your at risk?  You can hire an inspector to run a Radon Test or you can get your own Radon Test Kit

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Radon Enters a House

 

 

 

 

 

Radon Gas is found naturally outside and can seep into your house through various ways.   The key is to make sure the Radon Levels in your house are at acceptable recommended levels to help keep you safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christine Pappas Real Estate Agent Driving in her car

 

Ask Me A Real Estate Question...I Am Happy To Help
Christine Pappas, Real Estate Professional, ABR e-pro
Serving the Greater Cleveland, Ohio areas of Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake Counties
Keller Williams Realty Greater Cleveland NE

Posted by

Michele Miller

Worcester County Realty Group ~ Keller Williams Greater Worcester
324 Grove Street
Worcester, MA 01605

Worcester County Realty Groupwww.buyorsellinworcestercounty.com

508-281-2180 direct/fax

homes@buyorsellinworcestercounty.com

 


 

Comments (5)

Dan Edward Phillips
Dan Edward Phillips - Eureka, CA
Realtor and Broker/Owner

Hi Michelle, great post, thank you for putting it back up!

Sep 28, 2010 02:03 AM
Kathy Torline
ERA Herman Group Real Estate - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Real Estate Blog 719-287-1049

Thanks for sharing this again; it's important for Realtors and buyers to understand radon and the potential risks.

Sep 28, 2010 02:09 AM
Tricia Hoffmann
Your Home Free - Highland Village, TX

It's so interesting what items are important regionally.  We don't worry about radon in Texas but foundation problems are more prevalent.  Other states don't even have to think about that.  Thanks for the information.

Sep 28, 2010 02:15 AM
Larry Bettag
Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001 - Saint Charles, IL
Vice-President of National Production

My brother is a hematologist and oncologist.  He said that University of Illinois has done study after study after study on this.  In fact, they have a hot line on this topic.  The hotline says that you have to be locked in a basement for 30 years with a level over 30 or 40 for you to have an elevated chance of getting cancer.  Needless to say, I share this with my clients and tell them that this fact is irrelevant.  When you sell your home, the next buyer's gonna freak when they hear the word Radon.  As you point out, it's naturally occurring.  The stat that you give is 20,000 deaths a year.  That's less than 6 tenths in a million if that stat is true.  My next question is how do they know that the cancer was created by radon specifically?  This has been around forever in Illinois.  My level is well over 4.0.  None of the 5 kids we gave birth to are glowing or look like they have any nuclear radiation.

My point to this babbling?  You'll need to take care of it in spite of the fact that the chance of getting some Radon related cancer is so deminimus.  I think your guy was just trying to scare up a sale.  Great post!

Sep 28, 2010 02:26 AM
Bruce Breedlove
Avalon Inspection Services - Colorado Springs, CO

You need to check your math. Your decimal point is off a couple of places. 20,000 deaths per year out of a population of 320,000,000 (22,000 / 320) is 62.5 deaths per million, not 0.6 deaths per million. That is a statistically significant number in my book, not "deminimus" (lacking significance or importance). It would certainly be significant if one of the 22,000 were you or someone you love. And that is 68.75 deaths per million every year.

Study after study have shown that exposure to high levels of radon increases your risk of lung cancer. EPA and others extimate that 20,000 people or more die every year in the US due to radon exposure. The higher the radon level and the longer the exposure the higher the risk. If you smoke AND you are exposed to high levels of radon your risk of lung cancer due to radon exposure is MANY, MANY times higher than a non-smoker with the same exposure (20X to 30X higher).

Lung cancer is lung cancer. It is not possible to determine what caused a particular case of lung cancer. But what is possible is to study control groups of people and estimate the rate of lung cancer in people exposed to radon. (Google "Iowa", "radon" and "study" and read up on the research.)

Oct 04, 2010 02:31 PM