REALTOR.org picked up on an April 1, 2008 article by Pillar to Post on the five most dangerous hazards in your home. The first hazard listed is Radon gas.
The National Institutes of Health in a press release dated Tuesday, December 31, 1996 had this to say about Radon;
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Inhalation of radon and its decay products can increase the risk of lung cancer. Based on occupational studies, it is estimated that between 6,000 to 36,000 Americans may die each year of radon-associated lung cancer. Smokers exposed to radon are at greatest risk, with risk for smoking and radon exposure exceeding the sum of risks from the individual factors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports these causes of death for all age groups and all races in the United States in 2006.
- Heart disease: 631,636
- Cancer: 559,888
- Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 137,119
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 124,583
- Accidents (unintentional injuries): 121,599
- Diabetes: 72,449
- Alzheimer’s disease: 72,432
- Influenza and Pneumonia: 56,326
- Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 45,344
- Septicemia: 34,234
If the National Institutes of Health’s estimates are correct, Radon could be in the top 15 list of natural causes of death in the U.S.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas. It is odorless and tasteless so you will not be aware if it is present. Radon is created in the process of decay of uranium. One does not have to live close to large deposits of Uranium or near a Uranium mine to be exposed to Radon. Radon levels in Arizona are quite similar to the national average. The only way to know the Radon level in a home is with testing.
There are a couple of factors that will increase the possibility of higher than normal Radon levels in a home. One is if there is a protrusion into the soil such as a basement. Another is in there are unsealed openings is the subfloor around pipes or ducts.
Radon levels can be fairly easily reduced if they exceed recommended limits. Something as simple as an evaporative cooler helps reduce Radon levels by bringing in fresh air and keeping the air pressure in the house slighter higher than the ambient outside pressure.
There are a number of web based resources to give you additional information on Radon. Some of these are;
- Cochise County Radon Information
- A Q&A from National Cancer Institute about Radon.
Radon is not something to be afraid of. Radon levels can be easily detected and if high, remediation is usually quite simple and not too expensive.
