Their are many topics of concern when it comes to indoor air quality. The degree of impact to health of each is varied depending on personal susceptibility. However some such as Radon gas can endanger anyone. Here are some things you should know and do if Radon is a concern for you.
First, Radon is a contaminant that impacts indoor air quality worldwide. It is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon gas can accumulate in homes, buildings and drinking water, and cause lung cancer. It is responsible for an estimated 20,000 deaths per year in the United States. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in the air.
Radon has been around for ever. However it only started becoming a wide spread issue in the last century. The principal cause of this problem has actually been advancements in how houses are build.
Where older homes “breath” newer homes don’t. In older homes air is constantly cycling from outside the home to inside. This is bad in that heated or cooled air is constantly escaping the home which pushes up energy costs. However conversely, this breathy also helped defuse pollutants that may accumulate in your home such as Radon.
With this growing concern has come many solutions to help correct the air quality in your home. Some strategies include ventilation in your rafters. Quality insulation like blown insulation will let radon and gases move up with the hot air in your homes. During the summer months this hot air can be vented outside helping to cool your home and remove Radon build up at the same time. Another strategy is to seal your basement. This creates a barrier that restricts or prevents Radon from entering your home, instead it follows your foundation and seeps up naturally around your home and is quickly dispersed by the wind.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works with communities interested in increasing public understanding of radon. For more information, please visit the EPA’s radon web page.
You may also wish to view information on how to have your home tested for or protected against radon or surf on over to our main site for more helpful tips.