Radon Facts, Information and Testing

 

Radon Gas

What is radon?

Radon is a cancer-causing radio active gas. You cannot see, smell or taste radon but it may be a problem in your home. When you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned thatradon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels,your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

 

Radon is a cancer causing radioactive gas.

his is because when you breathe air-containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

 

Radon's primary hazard is caused from inhalation of the gas and its highly radioactive heavy metallic decay products(Polonium, Lead, and Bismuth) which tend to collect on dust in the air. The problem arises when these elements stick to the delicate cells lining the passage ways leading into the lungs.

There is sufficient evidence for the carcinogenicity of radon and its isotopic forms, radon-222 and radon-220, in experimental animals. When administered by inhalation, preceded by a single exposure to cerium hydroxide dust, radon induced pulmonaryadenomas, adenocarcinomas, invasive mixed adenosquamous carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas in male rats. Extrapulmonary metastases occurred in only one animal. Most or all of the tumors were believed to be bronchiolar orbronchio-alveolar in origin. Radon decay products in combination with uranium-ore dust induced a progression of activity from single basal cell hyperplasia in bronchioles to malignant tumorsin male hamsters when exposed by inhalation. Lung tumors observed were adenomas, adenocarcinomas, and squamous cell carcinomas; bronchiolar and alveolar metaplasia, adenomatous lesions, fibrosis, and interstitial pneumonia were also observed. When administered by inhalation in combination with decay products, uranium-ore dust, and cigarette smoke, radon-induced nasalcarcinomas, epidermoid carcinomas, bronchio-alveolar carcinomas,and fibrosarcoma were observed in dogs of both sexes. In general, a significant increase was observed in respiratory tract tumorsin rats and dogs in comparison with unexposed animals. A dose-response relationship was noted in those experiments with rats in which radon was tested. In most instances, tumors at sites other than the lung were not reported, but in one study, mention was made of tumors of the upper lip and urinary tract in rats.

An IARC Working Group reported that there is sufficientevidence for the carcinogenicity of radon and its decay productsin humans. Increased incidence's of lung cancer have beenreported from numerous epidemiologic studies of groupsoccupationally exposed to high doses of radon, especiallyunderground hard rock miners. These include particularly uraniumminers, but also groups of iron-ore and other metal miners, and one group of fluorspar miners. Strong evidence for exposure response relationships has been obtained from several studies, inspite of uncertainties that affect estimates of the exposure ofthe study populations to radon decay products. Several small case-control studies of lung cancer have suggested a higher risk among individuals living in houses known or presumed to have higher levels of radon and its decay products than among individuals with lower presumed exposure in houses. The evidence on the interaction of radon and its decay products with cigarette smoking with regard to lung cancer does not lead to a simple conclusion. The data from the largest study are consistent with a multiplicative or sub multiplicative model of synergisms and reject an additive model. In many studies of miners and in one of presumed domestic exposure, small cell cancers accounted for agreater proportion than expected of the lung cancer cases. In onepopulation of uranium miners, this proportion has been declining with the passage of time. Because of the limited scale of epidemiologic studies of non occupational exposure to radon decay products available at the time reviews were made, quantification of risk has been based only on data of miners' experience. An IARC Working Group considered that the epidemiologic evidence does not lead to a firm conclusion concerning the interaction between exposure to radon decay products and tobacco smoking. Most of the epidemiologic studies involve small numbers of cases,and the analytical approaches for assessing interaction have been variable and sometimes inadequate.

 

You should test for radon. Testing is the only way to find out about your home's radon level. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing of all homes below the third floor for radon.

 

If you are buying a home. EPA recommends that you obtain the radon level in the home you are considering buying. An EPA publication "The Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide" is available through most State Health Departments or Regional EPA offices listed in your local phone book. EPA also recommends that you use a certified or state licensed radon tester to perform the test. If elevated levels are found it is recommended that these levels be reduced. In most cases, a professional can accomplish this at reasonable cost or homeowner installed mitigation system that adheres to the EPA's approved methods for reduction of radon in a residential structure.

 

How Does Radon Enter the Home?

Typically the air pressure inside your home is lower than the pressure in the soil around your home's foundation.  Due to this difference, your house acts like a vacuum, drawing radon gas in through foundation cracks and other openings of your home.  Radon may also be present in well water and can be released into the air in your home when water is used for showering and other household uses.

 

 

Do homes in Arizona contain high levels

 

 

The EPA provided funds to the ARRA to conduct statewide surveys of radon in homes in Arizona. The first survey, referred to as Phase 1, was conducted in 1987 and 1988. More than 2,000 homes were surveyed, mostly with charcoalcanister detectors. Alpha-track detectors were used in 170 randomly distributed homes for I-year periods. The alpha-track data indicated that the median of the yearly average radon concentration was 0.8 pCi/1 and that about 1.6 percent of homes had yearly average levels above 4 pCi/1 (Figure 4; Table 2). The highest yearly average level measured by the alpha-track detectors was 8.4 pCi/i. Phase 1 charcoal-canister testing was primarily done during the cooler months, when indoor-radon levels are typically higher. (Windows and doors are more likely to be closed during the winter, which promotes radon accumulation.) Homeowners were instructed to place the canisters in areas that inhabitants occupied frequently and to close windows and doors to the outside. Higher radon levels were recorded by the canisters than by the alpha-track detectors. The median level was 1 pCi/I, and 5.4 percent of homes had levels above 4 pCi/l. Phase 2 charcoal-canister testing in 1988 and 1989 was also primarily done during the cooler months. Canisters were distributed by county health deparbnents using various criteria. Combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 data from homes on the Colorado Plateau (mainly the Flagstaff area) indicated that indoor-radon levels were slightly higher than statewide levels, with a median of 1.2 pCi/1 and 9.5 percent of homes above 4 pCi/l. Combined Phase 1 and Phase 2 data from areas where a significant number of homes are on granite or related (crystalline) rocks, primarily in the Prescott and Payson areas, indicated that the median indoor-radon level for these homes was 1.3 pCi/I, with 14 percent of homes above 4 pCi/1. Higher radon levels in these areas are attributed to slightly higher uranium concentrations in underlying rocks and to the greater permeability of weathered granitic rocks, which allows more rapid radon movement (see also Kearfott, 1989). Similar studies of indoor-radon levels in other states revealed that Arizona radon levels were generally lower than most. Northern states tended to have higher radon levels because of heating and ventilation practices in colder climates and because glacial deposits and derivative soils are commonly permeable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alati’s Inspection Service LLC provides Radon Facts, Information and Testing in the following Areas:

Arizona Radon Facts, Information and Testing AZ

Arizona Radon Facts, Information and Testing AZ

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Common Indoor Mold

  • Cladosporium (pronounced 'clad-oh-spore-ee-um') Cladosporium is a very common mold. It can appear green, brown, grey or black on surfaces. It is classified as either Hazard Class B or C, depending on the species - i.e., allergic reactions are generally the only concern with Cladosporium. It can grow in many places, including walls, wood, dust, and insulation.
  • Aspergillus (pronounced 'as-per-jill-us') Aspergillus is another common mold. It can look grey, brown, yellow, green, white, or black. There are many species in the genus, and they generally fall into Hazard Classes A or B. Some can cause infection in people with weak immune systems, and some of them can make toxins in certain circumstances. Others will only cause allergic reactions. Aspergillus can grow on walls, insulation, paper products, soil, clothing, and many other places.
  • Penicillium (pronounced 'pen-ih-sill-ee-um') Penicillium is a name that often strikes people as familiar, and that is because modern antibiotics were discovered thanks to a species of Penicillium long ago. However, that doesn't mean that the genus can't be hazardous. It can look blue, green, or white, and its species are generally classified as B or C. It can be found on foods, such as cheese and fruit, or in the walls, the insulation, and other places.
  • Ulocladium (pronounced 'you-low-clad-ee-um') Ulocladium usually looks black or grey. It falls into hazard classes B and C, and tends to grow in damp areas. It can be found on walls, around windows, in dusty areas, and other places.
  • Acremonium (pronounced 'ack-ri-moan-ee-um') Acremonium is often found on insulation and drywall/sheetrock, although it can be found in many other areas, too - it grows in damp places. It can appear white, grey or brown, and various species are found in all three hazard classes.
  • Stachybotrys (pronounced 'stack-ee-bot-riss') Stachybotrys is a harmful black mold. Stachybotrys is the infamous black mold that made the news in association with ill health effects many years ago. It needs a very damp area to grow, and is considered a Hazard Class A mold, as it can create toxins. It looks black on surfaces.
  • Alternaria (pronounced 'all-ter-nair-ee-uh') Alternaria looks similar to Ulocladium under a microscope. It can appear black or grey on surfaces. It is classified as a Hazard Class B mold, and has been known to cause various allergic reactions. It can grow on walls, dusty areas, around windows, damp areas, in soil, on plants, and in various other places.
IAQ Arizona AZ ACAC Arizona AZ
IESO Indoor Environmental Standards Organization

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