January Monthly Health Theme - National Radon Action Month
January is National Radon Action Month – a time to raise awareness and learn the risks of radon, encourage testing, and what to do if you have high levels of radon in your home.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and radioactive gas. It’s formed naturally through the process of radioactive decay where uranium found in the earth’s rock and soil decay into radon. Since radon is a gas, it can move into water or air. Radon gas can enter the home through floor-wall joints, crawl spaces, floor drains, block wall foundations, utility lines, cracks and crevices in floors and walls, and dirt floors. Since a majority of radon exposure comes up from under the ground, concentrations tend to be the highest in the lower levels of homes.
High levels of radon exposure in the home is harmful. Radon is carcinogenic and is known to cause cancer. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer overall and is the primary cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. In Massachusetts, 1 in 4 homes have high radon levels. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, you should consider fixing your home with radon levels between 2 and 4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air). Any levels above 4 pCi/L should be fixed.
Ways to Test your Home
- Purchase a short-term radon test kit and do the test yourself. Test kits can be purchased at your local hardware store or online.
- Hire a radon measurement certified specialist to perform the short-term radon test. You can find a certified specialist here: https://nrsb.org/find-a-pro/ or https://aarst-nrpp.com/wp/
- Be sure to test between November 1st and March 31st when radon levels are the highest
How to Mitigate Radon
- The “action level” for radon is 4 pCi/L and should be fixed if levels higher than this are found (though it is recommended by the EPA to mitigate homes if radon levels are between 2 - 4 pCi/L).
- To best mitigate your home, hire a certified mitigation specialist to install a radon mitigation system. If the system is designed or installed wrong, it can make the issue worse. You can find Nationally Certified Radon Mitigation Professionals here:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/nationally-certified-radon-mitigation-professionals
- Most systems can be installed within a day
- Through this mitigation system, radon gas is released outside
For more information, visit: https://www.mass.gov/radon