Radon Testing

WHAT IS RADON (Rn)?

Since radon is a chemically inert gas, it won’t mix with other gases or substances.Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, radon is a naturally occurring gas that is also represented by the symbol Rn on the Periodical Table of Elements.Because radon is somewhat heavier than air, it usually affects the lower levels of a house.Nevertheless, in some cases, radon can be found on the home’s upper levels.After cigarette smoke, it is the second most common cause of lung cancer worldwide.It is critical to understand the levels of radon to which you are exposed over extended periods of time because it is carcinogenic.

An English physicist made the discovery of radon in 1899.Radon is a byproduct of uranium.

WHERE DOES RADON COME FROM?

Radion is created as Uranium decays over a period of 4.5 billion years.The radon that is here now began its journey long before people lived on the planet.Uranium decays in the soil, water, and air during this process.
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HOW DOES RADON ENTER YOUR HOME?

The ground underneath you is naturally vacuumed by your home.Whether you have a basement, slab on grade, or crawlspace is irrelevant.A home can be exposed to radon in a number of ways.The most frequent access points are foundation or slab cracks, crawlspace furnace leaks, ventilation ducts below the slab, and plumbing or electrical cables that extend below the house.Radon follows the route of least resistance, much like water.Plumbing and electrical systems that run through the house, as well as certain construction materials like granite flooring and countertops, can have an impact on the upper levels.

Well water can potentially introduce radon into your house.Wells are sealed off from outside air due to their deep subterranean location.

What is a safe level of radon?

There is no radon level that is considered safe. The units used to test radon levels are pCi/L, or picocurries per liter of air. The unit of measurement for radioactivity in one gram of radium is called a curie. The likelihood of health issues decreases with a home’s pCi/L.The mitigating action level set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is 4.0 pCi/L.It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to keep the value at no more than 2.7pCi/L.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS OF RADON?

Most health hazards are not caused by radon alone.What makes it risky for me, then?The primary hazards linked to radon originate from the byproducts of decay.In around 3.8 days, radon decays to produce polonium.The transition from carbon to polonium releases an alpha particle.Positively charged atoms known as alpha particles are unable to pass through human skin, but they can damage or even erase certain DNA when they come into contact with the tissue lining the inside of the lungs through inhalation.Your DNA won’t be destroyed, but mutations can cause cancer and other health problems.The EPA estimates that lung cancer brought on by radiation causes roughly 21,000 fatalities annually.Of the 21,000 deaths, about 2,900 were caused by nonsmokers.

PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM RADON GAS IN YOUR HOME

HOW DO I REDUCE RADON IN A HOME, AND WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING RADON MITIGATION?

In Indiana, Elite Restoration provides radon testing services. Radon can be decreased in your house in a variety of methods.Certain applications are limited to specific uses.Below, we will talk about a few of the more popular uses.

Slab system, also known as sub-slab decompression systems, is installed in the slab of grade dwellings. In order to install this system, we find a house where we can excavate a hole that is approximately two feet deep and remove a portion of concrete. After that, we install a PVC pipe and drill holes in it below the slab line. After drilling the holes in the pipe, we refill the cement and fill the hole with gravel. We route the pipe to the exterior after the cement has been laid.

The most popular type of system is the crawl system or sub-membrane decompression system. We have to snake a perforated drainpipe through the crawl space in order to install this system.The pipes are then covered with a 6-mil membrane.Usually, it takes several pieces of 6 mm poly membrane to completely enclose the crawlspace.Afterwards, an all-weather vinyl tape is used to “seam” the various components together to form a single membrane.The perimeter needs to be fastened to the foundation in its entirety once the parts have been “seamed” together.We employ a powerful foundation adhesive to accomplish this.The pipe beneath the membrane is run outdoors, through a wall on the outside or through the foundation.To create a vacuum, the pipe is connected to a specifically made Radon fan there.

Well water radon is a completely different story and is typically treated by a clean water specialist.Aeration and filtration are the greatest ways to lower the amount of radon in water.Between the main water line entering your home and the well, a qualified water specialist will install an aeration device.While radon in water is frequently far more concentrated than in the air, its effects on human health are negligible to nonexistent.When radon from the water leaks into the atmosphere and enters our lungs, it does have an impact on us.Based on most research, drinking water that contains radon is far safer than breathing it in.Every 1000pCi/L found in a sample of water, it

How do I know if I’m being exposed to radon?

Getting a radon test kit set up by a qualified radon specialist is the only way to find out.Following the test, the findings will be given, and it will be decided whether to mitigate the damage to a house or place of business. According to the EPA, testing should be done at least every two years, and possibly more frequently depending on where you reside.

Who is affected by radon?

Anyone can be affected by radon!However, younger children are more prone to be injured because their respiration rates are intended to be faster.The more times you breathe in, the more radon and its decay products your body is exposed to.Not everyone will be negatively impacted by radon exposure.Not every smoker who smokes for twenty years will get lung cancer, either.

How long does it take for radon to pose a health risk?

The effects of radiation on the human body take time to manifest; they do not happen instantly.Radon’s impacts are a chronic problem that often take ten to fifteen years to become dangerous.The duration depends on your level of exposure.Exposure can occur both at home and at work.There is a bigger risk involved with greater exposure.

How do I test for radon?

For at least 48 hours, a tester needs to be put someplace in the house.The tester’s placement is contingent upon the circumstances.Sometimes, people would like to know the precise amount of radon they are exposed to on a daily basis.The possibility for radon exposure is measured in other situations.You can do a specialized radon test or a decay product test.A long-term test will provide you with a more comprehensive picture of the exposure to radon, whereas a short-term test will indicate the possibility for radon.

A water sample from a kitchen or bathroom faucet is used to determine the presence of radon in the water.After that, it is transported to a lab for analysis, and the findings are

What kind of radon test should I have done?

You can select from a wide variety of radon test options.The circumstances should influence your decision.It is recommended to perform a short-term test (48–96 hours) in real estate transactions.A Continuous Radon Monitor (CRM) or a testing kit based on charcoal can be used for this.It is necessary to send a charcoal test kit to a lab for analysis and reading.The test results may not be sent to you or the radon specialist for a week.A Continuous Radon Monitor can be utilized to get results more quickly.These testers are not easily accessible to consumers and can be expensive.Hiring an expert is the simplest approach to administer this test.These findings will provide temperatures, barometric pressure, and radon levels.

What should I expect during a radon test?

The tester will be positioned for a brief test in the least habitable part of the house if it is for a real estate transaction.In other words, you should have a test done in the event that someone decides to convert a certain area into a living room, bedroom, or other place where people might spend a significant amount of time in the future.The tester needs to be placed three to six feet above the floor and away from any other items in the space.If a homeowner wants to conduct a short-term test outside of a real estate transaction, they can do so by choosing to test in the least livable portion of the house or in the lowest living space that is feasible.What radon testing device do we use?

The most common tester we use is the Airthings corentinum pro Continuous Radon Monitor. In special instances, other passive devices might be used for longer testing periods.

Why is it so important to have a certified Radon professional test and mitigate my home, it doesn’t seem that hard?

Regulating radon is unfortunately not done in the state of Indiana.Having said that, anyone can build radon mitigation devices and run radon tests.Although the overall concept of radon testing and mitigation is quite straightforward, mistakes can happen at any stage of the procedure.A homeowner can end up spending thousands of dollars on something they might not even need as a result of one error.In the worst case scenario, a homeowner could get sick or even die for causes unrelated to radon as a result of an improperly placed radon mitigation system.Systems are made with particular materials and fan sizes to reduce the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning and other potential problems.Professionals with certification are dispatched to schools and

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