WHAT IS RADON?
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of Uranium found in our area. The Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountain regions have some of highest densities of radon in the entire United States. The top 5 feet of an acre of land contains about 50 pounds of uranium on average in SW Virginia. Radon gas is almost everywhere. Radon is estimated to cause up to 23,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the US. According to the National Academy of Science's Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VI report, exposure to Indoor Radon is the second leading cause of of lung cancer next to smoking.
Problems occur when Radon concentartions reach high levels in areas where people spend large amounts of time. Testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk. The EPA and Surgeon General recommend testing all homes in our area. Even if high radon levels are found in a home the outdoor air is safe. However, when the gas seeps into a house from under the foundation, it can build to a dangerous level.
IS RADON A HEALTH HAZARD?
Radon is the main source of potentially harmful radiation to which the average American is subjected. Radon gas is the source of more radiation than all other natural causes - cosmic rays, internal sources, and man made radiation - x-rays, nuclear medicine, consumer products, all put together.
Radon decays rapidly into byproducts. It is these by-products that can become trapped in your lungs, releasing radiation (alpha particles). Alpha radiation directly causes damage to sensitive lung tissue because of the amount of energy it carries and may eventually lead to lung cancer. Most of the tissue damage is not actually from radon itself. It comes from radon's chain of short-lived solid decay products that are inhaled and lodge in the airways of the lungs. These radionuclides decay quickly, producing other radionuclides that continue damaging the lung tissue. Next to smoking, scientists believe that radon is associated with more lung cancer than any other compound. Radon is classified as a "Group A" carcinogen, defined as a substance known to cause lung cancer in humans.
In two 1999 reports the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after an exhaustive review that radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after cigarette smoking. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 15,000 to 30,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the United States are associated with radon.
There has been documentation of a longstanding correlation between smoking and lung cancer. When people who smoke are exposed to radon as well, the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly higher than the risk of smoking alone.
The NAS also estimated that radon in drinking water causes additional cancer deaths. Most of these deaths were from lung cancer from the inhalation of radon released to the indoor air from water and only about 10% were from cancers of internal organs, mostly stomach cancers, from ingestion of radon in water.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS RADON IN MY HOME?
Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA Citizens Radon Guide to Radon describes commonly available tests for measuring radon concentrations in the home. The Surgeon General recommends all homes and schools be tested for radon. People who have private wells should test their well water to ensure that radon levels meet EPA's newly proposed standard.
WHAT DO I DO IF RADON IS FOUND IN MY HOME?
The first step is to test your home for radon, and have it mitigated if it is at or above the EPA's Action Level of 4 picoCuries per liter. Levels can usually be brought below 2 pCi/l.
In most cases, systems with pipes and fans are used to reduce radon. These systems prevent radon from entering your home from below the concrete floor and the foundation. The best method for reducing radon in your home will depend on the design of your home and how the radon enters it. There are methods for reducing radon from the crawlspace or from beneath the concrete floor or basement slab that are very effective. The average price for radon remediation is $850 to $2500. The price could be more or less depending on the home.
To all REALTORS, HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS
If you are involved in a real estate transaction and radon mitigation is required there are a few things you should know.
1. Radon levels in a home can be safely reduced.
2. Allow enough time before closing to complete the job, usually 30 days or so.
3. If a quick closing is required and there is not enough time to perform the mitigation, funds can be escrowed at closing for the repair work. We guarantee to reduce the radon levels to below the current US EPA guideline of 4.0 pCi/l for the quoted proposal price.
4. Be careful to check that the company performing the testing and mitigation is a Virginia Certified Contractor and NEHA or NRSB certified. Petersen Home Services LLC is a Virginia Certified Contractor and NRSB certified for both Radon Mitigation and RadonTesting.
5. If you are the buyer it is important for you to be a part of the decision making process regarding the contractor installing the mitigation system. There can be significant repercussions if work is performed by a non--certified installer, in some cases up to $50,000 !
6. If you are the seller it is a good idea to ask for references from the company you choose to install a radon reduction system should your home require it.
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that comes from the natural decay of Uranium found in our area. The Appalachian and Blue Ridge mountain regions have some of highest densities of radon in the entire United States. The top 5 feet of an acre of land contains about 50 pounds of uranium on average in SW Virginia. Radon gas is almost everywhere. Radon is estimated to cause up to 23,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the US. According to the National Academy of Science's Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VI report, exposure to Indoor Radon is the second leading cause of of lung cancer next to smoking.
Problems occur when Radon concentartions reach high levels in areas where people spend large amounts of time. Testing is the only way to know if your family is at risk. The EPA and Surgeon General recommend testing all homes in our area. Even if high radon levels are found in a home the outdoor air is safe. However, when the gas seeps into a house from under the foundation, it can build to a dangerous level.
IS RADON A HEALTH HAZARD?
Radon is the main source of potentially harmful radiation to which the average American is subjected. Radon gas is the source of more radiation than all other natural causes - cosmic rays, internal sources, and man made radiation - x-rays, nuclear medicine, consumer products, all put together.
Radon decays rapidly into byproducts. It is these by-products that can become trapped in your lungs, releasing radiation (alpha particles). Alpha radiation directly causes damage to sensitive lung tissue because of the amount of energy it carries and may eventually lead to lung cancer. Most of the tissue damage is not actually from radon itself. It comes from radon's chain of short-lived solid decay products that are inhaled and lodge in the airways of the lungs. These radionuclides decay quickly, producing other radionuclides that continue damaging the lung tissue. Next to smoking, scientists believe that radon is associated with more lung cancer than any other compound. Radon is classified as a "Group A" carcinogen, defined as a substance known to cause lung cancer in humans.
In two 1999 reports the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after an exhaustive review that radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after cigarette smoking. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates 15,000 to 30,000 lung cancer deaths a year in the United States are associated with radon.
There has been documentation of a longstanding correlation between smoking and lung cancer. When people who smoke are exposed to radon as well, the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly higher than the risk of smoking alone.
The NAS also estimated that radon in drinking water causes additional cancer deaths. Most of these deaths were from lung cancer from the inhalation of radon released to the indoor air from water and only about 10% were from cancers of internal organs, mostly stomach cancers, from ingestion of radon in water.
HOW DO I KNOW IF THERE IS RADON IN MY HOME?
Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. The EPA Citizens Radon Guide to Radon describes commonly available tests for measuring radon concentrations in the home. The Surgeon General recommends all homes and schools be tested for radon. People who have private wells should test their well water to ensure that radon levels meet EPA's newly proposed standard.
WHAT DO I DO IF RADON IS FOUND IN MY HOME?
The first step is to test your home for radon, and have it mitigated if it is at or above the EPA's Action Level of 4 picoCuries per liter. Levels can usually be brought below 2 pCi/l.
In most cases, systems with pipes and fans are used to reduce radon. These systems prevent radon from entering your home from below the concrete floor and the foundation. The best method for reducing radon in your home will depend on the design of your home and how the radon enters it. There are methods for reducing radon from the crawlspace or from beneath the concrete floor or basement slab that are very effective. The average price for radon remediation is $850 to $2500. The price could be more or less depending on the home.
To all REALTORS, HOME BUYERS AND SELLERS
If you are involved in a real estate transaction and radon mitigation is required there are a few things you should know.
1. Radon levels in a home can be safely reduced.
2. Allow enough time before closing to complete the job, usually 30 days or so.
3. If a quick closing is required and there is not enough time to perform the mitigation, funds can be escrowed at closing for the repair work. We guarantee to reduce the radon levels to below the current US EPA guideline of 4.0 pCi/l for the quoted proposal price.
4. Be careful to check that the company performing the testing and mitigation is a Virginia Certified Contractor and NEHA or NRSB certified. Petersen Home Services LLC is a Virginia Certified Contractor and NRSB certified for both Radon Mitigation and RadonTesting.
5. If you are the buyer it is important for you to be a part of the decision making process regarding the contractor installing the mitigation system. There can be significant repercussions if work is performed by a non--certified installer, in some cases up to $50,000 !
6. If you are the seller it is a good idea to ask for references from the company you choose to install a radon reduction system should your home require it.