Radon
 What
is Radon?
Radon is
a colorless, odorless radioactive
gas. Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium that is
found
in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground
and
into your home where it is trapped and can build up.
The
Surgeon General has warned that
radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
today.
Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and
your
home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially
high.
 Radon
gas decays into radioactive particles called radon decay
products.
These particles can get trapped in your lungs where they will break
down
further. As they break down further, these particles release
small
bursts of energy. These bursts can damage your lung tissue
and lead
to lung cancer over the course of time. Not everyone exposed
to elevated
levels of radon will develop lung cancer. Your chances of
getting
lung cancer depend mostly on:
- How
much radon is in your
home.
- The
amount of time you spend in
your home.
- Whether
you are a smoker or have
ever smoked.
Measuring
Radon & Radon
in Our Area
The
amount of radon in the air is
measured in “picocuries per liter of air” or pCi/L. Radon
decay products
are measured in “working levels” or WL. The EPA recommends
fixing
your home if the radon gas level is greater than 4 pCi/L or the radon
decay
product level is above 0.02 WL. The average indoor radon
level is
estimated to be 1.3 pCi/L and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally
found
in the outside air. The EPA believes that any radon exposure
carries
some risk, even levels below 4 pCi/L. No level of radon is
safe.
The
Wyoming Radon Project has compiled
radon test results by county from the kits they have provided.
|
Total
|
Total
Results
|
Results
|
Results
|
Results
| | County |
Tests
|
>4
pCi/L
|
4-10
pCi/L
|
10-20
pCi/L
|
>20pCi/L
| | Sheridan |
842
|
59%
|
43%
|
13%
|
3%
| | Johnson |
264
|
32%
|
28%
|
4%
|
0%
|
As you
can see, nearly 6 of 10 homes
tested in Sheridan County have radon levels above the EPA recommended
action
level and in Johnson County about 3 of 10 homes are elevated.
The EPA estimates nationally nearly 1 in 15 homes are elevated.
Testing
Your Home
Every
home should be tested.
Elevated radon levels are found in all types of homes. It
doesn't
matter whether it is new or old, built with a basement or over a crawl
space, or if your neighbor's home tested low.
Testing
your home is easy, it can
be done inexpensively or for free and testing can be done anytime of
the
year. Following are some testing options:
- We
will provide you with an inexpensive
self-test kit. Either stop by our office or request a kit from one of our staff if we
are already
coming out to your home. These test kits are deployed for 3
to 7
days, and then you simply mail them to an independent lab.
The lab
will mail, fax or e-mail the results back to you and Alpine.
- You
can get a test kit from your local
University of Wyoming County Extension Office at no cost, if that is
more
convenient.
- Alpine
will test your home if you wish.
We can perform a 48-hour test, a Working Level test or a long-term
90-day
test. Call us for pricing and details.
- If
you are buying or selling a home
many home inspectors offer radon tests as part of their services.
 Fixing
Your Home
Radon
levels can be lowered in any
home by installing radon mitigation systems. The most common
mitigation
system for a home with a basement is a subslab depressurization
system.
A pipe is installed that penetrates your basement slab and is then
vented
to the outdoors. A special fan is mounted inline that runs
all the
time. It pulls a vacuum on the soil below the slab, pulling
most
of the radon out of the soil before it can get into the house.
A
submembrane system is used for
a crawl space. High density plastic is installed over the
soil and
sealed to the foundation wall. The same type of fan and
venting system
used in the subslab system is used to pull a vacuum on the soil beneath
the plastic.
The
following techniques can be used
instead of or in addition to the subslab and submembrane systems.
- Fresh
Air Ventilation – Since the radon
level is much lower in outside air, exchanging indoor air for outdoor
air
will lower your radon levels. Heat Recovery Ventilators can
do this
very energy efficiently.
- High
Quality Air Filtration & Continuous
Air Movement– These filters can capture Radon Decay Products.
Continuous
air movement can reduce Radon Decay Products by causing them to “plate
out” or stick to walls.
Doing It Yourself
If your
home is in Wyoming
and outside of our service area or you simply want to save some money
by doing
it yourself, we can help. Provide
us
with a simple floor plan of your home and after a consulation visit we
can
provide you with a quote for the installation materials and instruction
necessary for you to install your own system.
Why Choose Alpine
Alpine
is certified by NEHA in radon
measurement and mitigation.
We
have some of the most advanced measurement
equipment available.
We
guarantee our mitigation systems
will lower your radon level below 4pCi/L or you don't pay for it.
We
can augment traditional mitigation
systems with other Indoor Air Quality products to further reduce levels.
Prompt,
professional service.
See Why Choose Alpine?
Links
to Learn More....
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