Radon Environmental Issues Independently owned and operated

What Is Radon? Radon is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas It is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and Canada, next to cigarette smoke Radon comes from the ground and can be found in the air we breathe and the water we drink Discuss bullet points about radon.

What Is Radon? Radon comes from a natural breakdown of uranium in soil and rock It can be found in any home, school, office, public building Highest risk from long-term exposure is your home, where you spend the most time

Radon The amount of radon in the air is measured in picocuries per liter of air or pCi/L Two types of short-term testing methods 1. Active 2. Passive Source: Zone and legend map provided by EPA Web site

Radon Testing Methods: Active Uses active devices (electric power required) Continuous radon monitors Continuous working level monitors Requires operation by trained testers Provides a continuous report of radon levels present Reveals unusual or abnormal swings in the levels during the test period Costs more than passive device Ensures a more reliable short-term test result

Radon Testing Methods: Passive Uses passive devices (no electric power needed) Charcoal canisters Alpha-track detectors Charcoal liquid scintillation Electret ion chambers (EIC) Review EPA zoning map. Red is highest concentration. Yellow is 2.0 or below

Radon Testing Guidelines Testing device should be placed at the lowest living area of the home Minimum test period of 48 hours Ensure that the test is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or your state or province’s requirement

Radon Testing: Canisters E-perm results can be calculated immediately upon retrieval of canister following the test period E–perm uses EIC technology The base of these units hold and electrical charge. This charge is measured before and after a test. The more the charge dropped during the test, the more radon is in the air.

Radon Testing: Continuous Monitors Instant results are available at the push of a button following the test period These units have built-in tamper sensors to detect whether they were moved, etc.

Radon Mitigation Systems What level of radon is unsafe? When should you mitigate the radon level in a house? EPA Guidelines: With active (continuous monitoring) testing, at 4.0 pCi/L or higher, the EPA recommends installing a radon mitigation system With passive (canisters) testing, average the results of two canisters or average results from back-to-back tests, then mitigate if results are 4.0 pCi/L or above Discuss costs for mitigation systems. “Sub-slab” ventilation is the most common and easiest to install.

Choosing a Radon Mitigation System When selecting a radon mitigation system for your home, you and your contractor should consider several things: How high the radon level is in your home's key living areas The cost of radon mitigation system installation Radon mitigation system operation costs Your house size and type of foundation. In most cases, a system with a vent pipe and fan is used to reduce radon. Discuss bullet points