What’s radon? And how does radon enter my home?
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless carcinogenic gas. When uranium in the soil naturally decays, the radioactive gas called radon is emitted.
Radon can enter your new house through cracks or openings in the foundation. The differences in air pressure between the inside of a building and the soil around it also play an important role in radon entry. If the air pressure of a house is greater than the soil beneath it, radon will remain outside. However, if the air pressure of a house is lower than the surrounding soil (which is usually the case), the house will act as a vacuum, sucking radon gas inside.
Radon enters homes, offices, schools and other buildings through cracks in floors, walls, construction joints, or gaps around service pipes, electrical wires and sump pits. Houses and buildings that have crawl spaces, lower-level living rooms and basements are at risk for radon gas presence in the air. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and compromises our ability to breathe. If you choose to smoke, and you have radon in your home, you double the risk of lasting health issues.
The only way to know if your home has a radon problem is to test. The EPA recommends that average annual indoor radon levels do not exceed 4.0 pCi/L (150 Bq/m3).For perspective, 4.0 PK liters of radon is equal to 8 cigarettes per day。 If your home is built with a passive radon system, you should test it immediately after moving in to make sure that radon levels are below the EPA guideline.
Like most gasses, radon concentration fluctuates daily. The amount of radon gas emitted from the ground and the amount of radon gas particles entering that actually enter our home can and how much radon can change for many reasons. It can be affected by natural sources such as cold weather, wind, pressure, and shifting soil - even earthquakes and local construction.
The radon gas concentration within our homes is often much greater than outside. This is because the gas comes from the ground and is captured and contained in our homes, resulting in levels that we seldom find in nature. Radon concentration changes over time, that’s why it's so important to measure continuously, so you can be alerted to high levels and take simple steps to improve them.
Aegtest home radon detector for long-term monitoring. Aegtest patented radon sensors use alpha spectrometry developed in-house. The radon sensor consists of a passive diffusion chamber, which allows air samples to flow into it. There is a photodiode located inside this chamber, which essentially counts the amount of "daughter" radon gas particles in the air sample. This makes long-term monitoring effective and reliable.
The main reason is that radon will not be distributed evenly around a room. Imagine adding a dash of cream to a cup of black coffee but not stirring it. If you then take multiple samples from a small spot of that coffee for the level of cream, you would get very different readings over time as the cream slowly blends in with the coffee.
Radon sampling works in the same way. As a result, Aegtest radon sensors provide both short-term sample readings and average long-term readings. This is why we recommend allowing your radon detector to measure for at least 15-30 days so that the monitor can collect enough air samples to provide a reliable long-term average.
The EPA recognizes the radon level 4.0 pCi/L as the official action level. Meaning, any building that has a level of 4.0 pCi/L or higher should be effectively “mitigated.” Ideally, you want your radon level to be as close to zero pCi/L as possible,
If you find that your test results exceed 4.0 pCi/L (150 Bq/m³), you should promptly open windows to ventilate and reduce the indoor radon concentration, or consider installing a radon mitigation system in your home. Or talk to Your Builder, you and your builder can design your new house to be radon resistant. For a small fee your builder can take the following four simple steps to deter radon from entering your home.
Install a layer of clean gravel or aggregate beneath the slab or flooring system.
Lay polyethylene sheeting on top of the gravel layer.
Include a gas-tight venting pipe from the gravel level through the building to the roof.
Seal and caulk the foundation thoroughly.
These construction techniques will be familiar to your builder. There is no need to hire a special contractor or architect. Many builders already incorporate some of these steps in the construction of their houses to control moisture or increase energy efficiency. In fact, radon-resistant construction techniques can be found in the 1995 version of the One-and-Two Family Dwelling Code published by the Council of American Building Officials.
Radon-resistant construction techniques comprise a "passive" radon system. This system overcomes the vacuum effect experienced by most houses by creating a pressure barrier to radon entry. The system also includes a pipe to vent radon gas safely to the outdoors.
Sometimes a passive radon system isn't enough to prevent radon from entering a house. In this case, a fan can be installed to pull the radon gas from the underlying soil into the vent pipe where it can be exhausted outside the house. The addition of a fan and its associated wiring creates and "active" radon system.
Conclusion
Understanding and addressing radon levels in your home is essential for protecting yourself and your loved ones from this silent health risk. Don't wait—test your home today! To make it easier for you, I've included a link to our recommended radon testing kit in the description below. If you found this video helpful, don't forget to like and subscribe for more tips on keeping your home safe and healthy. Thanks for tuning in, and I'll see you next time!
1 comment
Omaha Radon Pros
Great question—radon enters your home through cracks in the foundation, gaps around pipes, crawl spaces, and even well water. To get rid of it, the most effective method is installing a radon mitigation system, like sub-slab depressurization, which vents radon safely outside. Sealing entry points and improving ventilation also help reduce levels and keep your home safer.