Radon Testing: Is it really necessary
I just attended a conference on Radon yesterday and came away with some interesting information.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in the USA.
Virtually all homes have radon in them but it is important to know whether you have elevated levels in your own home. The only way to know is to test and if elevated, have it properly mitigated.
National and international health experts as well as the Surgeon General of the U.S. recommends testing your home.
Elevated Radon levels in your home present a health risk to your family. Radon levels are considered to be elevated if above 4.0 pCi/L.
What if I have had my home mitigated or levels were acceptable in the last test:
As part of mitigation, all junctions of concrete slabs and foundations walls as well as other penetrations are sealed to force the gases to be collected by the mitigation system. These joints can and will open up again over time and will allow soil gases to bypass the mitigation system. Soil configurations change over time as well which can cause radon levels to change. The Surgeon General is so concerned about Radon that he suggests testing every two years.
Even if you are living in a relatively new high rise condominium building you have exposure to Radon from the concrete that surrounds you in floors and walls. Even though the levels of Radon gas from the concrete is very low, the amount of air exchanges in new condos have been found to be less than half of what would occur in a single family home thereby concentrating the gases in a small area.
How do I know if I live in a high Radon area?
Even though your area may be designated as a low probability area, there are still small pockets of elevated Radon present. Dekalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties have been designated as high levels areas. One of my inspectors recently purchased a home in Ellijay that had very high levels of Radon. The only way to know if your family is safe is to test with a professional.
Several government agencies have added the testing for Radon to their "healthy Homes" program checklists.
The only way to be sure your family is safe is to TEST! Always use a third party environmentlist to determine if you have elevated levels and if a mitigation has been properly performed.