Before we discuss radon mitigation, it is important to first understand what radon is. Radon is a soil gas. It is naturally occurring, radioactive gas formed from decaying uranium. It has been found in every soil type and in every state in the U.S. It can enter into a house and into indoor air through the basement, cracks or gaps in the foundation, through an open drainage system, dirt crawlspace, or even through the water pipes when radon enters the water supply.
High levels of radon in our indoor air can cause lung cancer. It is actually the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers. The American Cancer Institute says radon kills 21,000 people a year. The sad thing is that indoor radon can be prevented.
Radon mitigation systems pull the radon out of the soil just below and around the foundation. A fan pulls the gas into pipes and expels it out above the roof line to dissipate in the atmosphere. Radon is only dangerous if we breathe in high levels over an extended period of time. The EPA says that dangerous level is 4 picocuries per liter, or pCi/L, or higher.
The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test for it. Radon doesn’t have a color, taste or smell. So, you can’t even tell you are even breathing in radon. Testing is inexpensive and simple. There are short-term tests available at any local hardware store. You set up the test and send it off to a lab to be tested. If you find you have high levels of radon from the short-term test, then you should test with the long term test to verify the results. If you still find there is a radon problem in your house, then you should call a radon professional to install a radon mitigation system. If you find radon in your soil and your house water comes from a well you should also have your water tested.
There are several methods to reduce radon in the home but the most common radon mitigation system is a soil suction radon reduction system that pulls the radon from beneath the house up through pipes with a fan. This system also has another added benefit of reducing moisture in the basement environment as well.
One thing to remember about radon is that if you disturb the soil around your house it can create a pocket of radon that wasn’t there before. Always test your house before and after a home remodel where the soil is excavated at all. Radon has also been known to be in pockets around a neighborhood. One house may have a radon problem and the neighbor’s house doesn’t—and vice versa. Even if you hear your neighbor just tested for radon and doesn’t have an issue, that doesn’t mean you don’t. Test every five years to ensure you don’t have a radon problem.