It's funny how Radon seems to have lost its ability to scare Buyers out of their contracts. Maybe the Real Estate Community has been doing its job, and educating Buyers about Radon and the ease with which it's brought under control. For those of you who know that Radon isn't a good thing, but have no idea what it is, here's the short story. Radon is the result of the decay of radium (found in uranium ores), Although it was discovered in the 1800s, it wasn't until 1985 that Radon was found to be present in homes. Prior to that, the health risk Radon seemed to pose was to miners breathing in heavy concentrations of it. The EPA conducted studies that found the maximum acceptable leve of Radon indoors is 4.0 pico curies. Anything over that level, according to EPA standards, requires mitigation. That process employs a vent-pipe system and fan that pulls Radon out from under the home, and vents it outside. An indoor meter is installed in the Basement to monitor the Radon levels. The good news about Radon mitigation is that the levels of Radon found in homes with a mitigation system are far lower than those that didn't have high levels to begin with.
As regards Mold, the one thing you need to understand is that Mold is ubiquitous. In other words, if you go out your front door to get the mail, when you come back inside, you'll bring a batch of mold spores with you. Mold is everywhere --- you can't avoid it. The kind of mold spores, the level of moisture in your home, and the respiratory health of its occupants is what is important to know. As the EPA has stated, in its brochure "A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture," 'Molds are usually not a problem indoors, unless Mold spores land on a wet or damp spot and begin growing. Molds have the potential to cause health problems...may cause allergic reactions in sensitive individuals. Allergic reactions to Mold are common.' Ironically, Mold is used in some food production, usually to break down starches. Some sausages are made with it to improve the flavor.
Go to www.epa.gov/mold for more inforation.
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