Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. It is second only to cigarette smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer.
Smokers are placed at a higher risk for developing lung cancer when living in a home with elevated radon levels. Radon most prominently enters the body through inhalation and ingestion. Twenty –one thousand lung cancer deaths occur yearly due to Radon. An estimated 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. On January 13, 2005, Dr. Richard H. Carmona, the U.S. Surgeon General, issued a national health advisory on radon.
Radon was discovered at the turn of the century (1900 not 2000) by English physicist Ernest Rutherford and German physicist Friedrich Ernst Dorn. It is odorless, tasteless and dangerous. Like most any gas, it cannot be seen either. It is a naturally occurring gas that is most commonly found in igneous rock and soil, but it forms from the natural breakdown of uranium. Radon-222 is the radon that most readily occurs in our environment.
Tom Kelly, former Director of EPA Indoor Environment’s Division stated, “We know that radon is a carcinogen. This research confirms that breathing low levels of radon can lead to lung cancer,” when discussing two studies, an American and a European research project which uncovered and confirmed the health risks of residential as well as occupational radon exposure (2005).
Mitigate the problem before it is too late. There is more than one method of mitigation and it depends on the type of foundation your home has, also. According to the EPA's "A Citizen's Guide to Radon", the method to reduce radon primarily used is , “a vent pipe system and fan, which pulls radon from beneath the house and vents it to the outside" (EPA.gov, n.d.).
Armed with this knowledge, doesn’t it make sense to test your home for elevated levels of radon gas? Find out if your local home inspector offers testing and/or mitigation services. Your family’s health may rely upon it.
If you need the Atlanta Home Inspector to test for elevated radon levels in your home, call IHI Home Inspections at 404-788-2581 or Book your appointment online to receive a special discount http://www.ihihomeinspections.com
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