What is Radon Gas?
Radon is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas that occurs naturally in almost all soils and enters into homes even through solid concrete walls.
Radon has come to world's wide attention as a very significant contaminant for indoor air quality and it has been estimated that long-term exposure to radon gas is the second most frequent cause lung cancer after smoking. It has been estimated that more 21,000 people die from radon induced lung cancer, in US alone. Radon gas is an invisible health risk for you and your family!
Radon gas can enter in your home from the soil through construction joints, tiny cracks or pores in hollow-block walls, floor drains, sump pumps, cracks in concrete floors and walls. Radon levels are generally highest in basements and ground floor rooms that are in contact with the soil, except when you have a forced air heating and/or air conditioning systems found to move farely quickly radon gas on all levels of the home. Another source of radon indoors may be the gases released by well water during showering and other household activities.
Radon Testing Methods
Since radon gas is colorless, odorless and tasteless, one can only measure radon levels using one of the following radon testing methods:
- Activated Charcoal Canisters
- Alpha Track Detection Kits
- Electret-Passive Environment Radon Monitor
- Safety Siren Radon Detectors
Activated Charcoal Canisters
Radon in indoor air is measured using a canister of activated charcoal that adsorbs the radon gas. The device consists of a scintillation vial containing activated charcoal, a diffusion barrier and a desiccant agent. A passive diffusion method for the determination of radon concentration is used to minimize the effects of environmental humidity and extends the useful exposure time to up to 7 days. The advantages of this method are its simplicity, low cost, low detection limit, the total automatization of the measurement and its total independence of humidity to measure in a wide range of radon concentrations. Activated Charcoal Canisters must be sent in to a lab for measurements where the radon levels are typically measured using a sodium iodide detector.
Radon Mitigation
Here are all the possible radon mitigation methods for an existing home. If you are planing to build a new home minimize the level of radon gas within your home by using a Radon Resistant Construction Technique.
1. Preventing Radon Gas From Getting Into the Home
a. Seal Radon Gas Out
Sealing radon is a simple solution with the main goal of preventing radon gas from getting inside the home by sealing all the possible entry paths. Caulking basement floor cracks, covering bare crawlspace floors with plastic, coating basement walls and basement floors with deap sealing compounds or cement paint, installing and sealing caps on sump pump holes and open drains can dramatically lower radon levels.
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DIY Radon Mitigation
Are you a handyman who like to tackle tasks around the house by himself? Here is how to measure the level of radon in your home, install and maintain a radon mitigation system.
1. Measure Radon Levels
Measuring the radon gas level, also referred to as radon testing or radon detection, will determine whether radon gas is present within your home or not. Due to the way radon escapes in the atmosphere from the ground, the measurements in a house can differ dramatically from the results in the next house. This means that a low reading in your neighbor’s home is not enough assurance for you and your family.
Radon detection kit or safety siren radon detectors must be installed on the lowest level of your home (typically in basement) approximately 2 feet from the wall and about 3 inches from the floor. Make sure you select an area where the air is fairly static, away from fresh air incoming ducts, vents, ventilators, intakes or exhausts of air conditioning systems, air purifies, heat exchangers or dehumidifiers. Do not place the radon detection kit or safety siren radon detectors in the kitchen or bathroom where high humidity or the operation of an exhaust fan could affect the validity of the test.
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