Radon awareness is nowhere close to where it should be, for the amount of time that it has been a known public health risk. Since the mid 2000’s, radon testing has been closely tied to the real estate process. Radon professionals would prefer that not be the case. The radon industry has had little success separating itself from the real estate transaction. The EPA, ALA, CDC and many other health organizations agree that radon is a public health concern. Every home should be tested for radon. Every homeowner should be aware of the risks.
What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that is found in rock and soil throughout the Earth’s crust. Radon is an unstable decay product of Uranium. Unstable elements will decay and transform into other elements until they become stable. Since radon is naturally occurring, every home will have some level of radon in the indoor air. The EPA has set an “Action Level” of 4.0 pCi/L as a threshold of whether a mitigation system would be highly recommended.
Average National Radon Levels:
- Outdoor Air = 0.4
- Indoor Air = 1.3
- Action Level = 4.0
Shortened explanation of Radon
Uranium (solid) breaks down and becomes Radium (solid) which eventually becomes Radon (gas). Radon decay products emit alpha particles that, when inhaled, can cause damage to lung tissue. This damage has earned radon the second place in causes of lung cancer, just under smoking cigarettes. A common comparison, of smoking and radon, is that having a home that measures 4.0 pCi/L would be the same as smoking 8-10 cigarettes a day. You’ll have the same smoking risks with nothing more than living in your home.
Radon is responsible for roughly 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Nearly 3,000 of these deaths are from non smokers.
Do I need a Professional Test?
The radon industry is highly regulated. Professionals are required to keep to a calibration schedule for their testing equipment. Professionals must also adhere to a quality assurance program that requires additional checks throughout the year. Therefore, their equipment readings are considered more reliable and accurate than hardware store tests.
Homeowners can purchase testing kits from hardware stores or online. These tests are fine for someone living in their home that would like to have a measurement in mind. Multiple tests or a professional test are recommended to double check a high reading from a hardware store test. Mitigation systems may also be installed regardless of test results. Some people just like the peace of mind.
Although radon is naturally occurring, some areas will be consistently higher than others. The EPA produced a map of radon zones based on geography and testing results. This is a general map and does not reflect individual reading per home, nor should it be used as a reason to avoid testing. Testing each home is still recommended.
How does it enter my home?
Differences in pressure, between home and outdoors, can force radon up through imperfections in the home where there is contact with soil. Concrete slabs may have perimeter gaps, hairline cracks, uncovered sump pumps or other imperfections that can allow radon to enter the home. A negative pressure can suck this sub-slab air into the home. Homes really suck!
When radon enters the home, nearly half of the radon will “plate out”, or stick to walls and other obstructions. A radon test can only measure what is still airborne. Radon concentrations will be higher on the lowest levels of the home. That is where the radon measurements will be conducted. If your home has multiple foundations (crawlspace, basement, slab), multiple devices will be needed for a valid test.
What can I do about it?
The radon industry has developed ways to mitigate radon in the home. Since radon is naturally occurring, there is no getting rid of it. But, you can minimize how much is getting trapped in the indoor air. Since radon entry is heavily dependent on air pressure, a depressurization system is most-often deployed.
Passive Radon Mitigation Systems
As of 2014 (in Illinois), new construction homes are required to have a passive radon mitigation system installed in the home during construction. The builder installs a piping system that extends from below the slab, up through the roof, to discharge air away from living space. This system relies completely on air pressure being forced through the piping rather than imperfections in the structure.
*Passive systems can still have a high radon.*
Piping is often installed incorrectly or in a manner that hinders air flow. Other factors can result in high readings, but testing a newer home is still highly recommended.
Passive systems are also required to have electrical service installed in the attic space, near the radon piping. If high radon measurements are observed, a fan can be installed to actively pull sub-slab air from the home.
Active Soil Depressurization Systems
ASD systems are the most common for mitigating radon in the home. If a passive system needs a fan installed, it becomes an active system. If there is no mitigation system in the home, all of the piping and fan can be installed in one visit to a home. The fan ‘actively’ pulls sub-slab air to be exhausted away from living space.
How much is that gonna cost?
Mitigation costs will be competitive by company, but there are a few variables that can add to the price.
Number of foundations
The least expensive mitigation, besides turning a passive system to an active system, would be a home on a slab or with one basement. A single foundation requires one slab penetration (suction point). This will require the lowest investment of time and materials.
Many homes have a basement with an attached crawlspace, or multiple crawlspaces. Each crawlspace has to be tapped and combined with the basement piping before connecting to the radon fan. These additional steps come with additional costs.
Likewise, a home that has had additions will also need multiple suction points. This can add up with older homes that have expanded with needs of the homeowner.
Dirt and Gravel Crawlspaces
Dirt and gravel crawlspaces require the most time and materials for mitigation. Therefore, they will have the highest costs. Every effort needs to be made to control the air in the crawlspace. A high-quality vapor barrier needs to be installed and sealed to every wall, pier and system that is in the crawlspace. A suction point, piping, electrical and fan will also need to be installed. This is incredibly tedious work in a confined space. These factors will result in a higher cost for mitigation.
Why am I just hearing about this? Why is nobody talking about Radon?
Radon awareness is a victim of circumstance. Don’t be surprised to hear that politicians do not want to represent a town that is statistically higher in radon measurements than their neighbors. That’s a hard sell. Any public awareness would sooner come from health agencies than ‘public servants’. Most of the awareness is coming from professionals in real estate, which only reaches one family at a time.
Mining industries have known about radon’s effect on lungs since the late 1800’s. It wasn’t until 1984 that a incident opened our eyes to the potential problem in our homes. The Watras Incident.
Stanley Watras was an engineer at a Nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. The plant was still under construction when the ‘radiation exposure’ machines were consistently sounding alarms for Stanley, upon starting his work day! The radiation in Stanley’s home was off the charts. This inspired numerous investigations and efforts by the plant and other curious agencies. Radon was the culprit. These efforts inspired new efforts and agencies for awareness, testing and mitigation.
Note: The rising popularity of central air conditioning lead to more people closing themselves off in their homes. These closed building living conditions contributed to higher radon concentrations in the home. That being said, homes that regularly open windows, as climate control, will have less radon concentration in their homes. This is also why ‘closed building conditions’ are required for a valid radon test.
Don’t try anything sneaky! Professional radon detection devices will measure swings in temperature, air pressure and humidity. These readings can indicate attempts to influence the test. Attempts to influence a test are illegal and subject to retest (cost incurred by occupant) or penalty.
Real Estate didn’t help
Radon testing was married to the real estate transaction when radon was declared a public health concern and radon disclosures became required. This was around 2008.
“Another cost in the real estate transaction? Now we can talk about it. But, only a little.”
The demand for radon testing increased. The home inspection became the ideal time to test. So, many home inspectors took the opportunity to become radon professionals.
During a real estate transaction, sellers are required to disclose known safety issues. If they’re not sure about radon in the home, buyers can pay for a radon test to be conducted. If the tests are above the action level (4.0 pCi/L), radon can then be on the negotiating table. Because of this road bump, people will start to talk. Extra time and money will be needed to correct the known safety issue.
A massive lack of public awareness brings sellers, agents and others to believe this is another way to milk money out of the real estate process (So I’ve heard). This relatively new (not new) information encourages many to ramble off assumptions rather than look into it.
Note: If your radon levels are high, don’t take the money (credits) and run. Get the mitigation system. You lungs will thank you.
This dance of misinformation and misunderstanding has prevented radon awareness from making any real headway. If the radon industry is forced to be married to the real estate transaction, then I’m hoping this article will bring some understanding to the process.
Radon levels can vary from season to season and year to year. If your initial test is low, retesting is recommended every 5 years. If your initial test was high and a mitigation system was installed, retesting every two years is ideal.