Radon is a gas that not many people knew about years ago. It's a radioactive gas that you can't see or smell. Unfortunately, because radon is a radioactive gas, it has dangerous effects on your health if you're exposed to it. Are you being exposed to dangerous levels of radon? Read on to discover important facts about this radioactive threat.
1. Radon Is a Naturally Occurring Gas
Radon is the result of the natural radioactive decay of radium. It's colorless, chemically unreactive, and inert. The gas is found in soil, water, and air. It's also a single-atom gas, so it easily penetrates any permeable material. It's typically found in igneous rock, soil, and water. It can become concentrated in enclosed spaces, like buildings.
2. Radon Causes Lung Cancer
Radon's radioactive elements cause cancer, specifically in the lungs because of the inhalation of the gas. According to Healthline, the inhalation of radon gas is responsible for 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths pre year. Radon is second only to smoking in causing lung cancer. Smoking increases your chance of contracting lung cancer due to radon inhalation.
3. Radon Can Enter Your Home From the Soil
As noted, one of the big dangers of radon is that it becomes concentrated in confined spaces, such as your home. When radon is present in the soil underneath the house, it can enter via floor cracks or wall cavities. What's more, air pressure inside the home is usually lower than the pressure under the soil. This situation causes a suctioning effect, which can also draw radon into the building.
4. Radon Can Be Present in Water
While radon is a gas, it can permeate water. It usually enters the atmosphere before it has a chance to permeate water in lakes, rivers, or reservoirs. However, the gas can leak into groundwater if the rocks around the groundwater are igneous and permeated with radon. This fact means radon might enter your home if you use groundwater as your water source.
5. You Can Test for Radon
Unfortunately, radon poisoning doesn't have any symptoms until it's turned into lung cancer. However, you can test the radon levels in your home to see if the levels are too high. You can order do-it-yourself kits and mail them back to labs for results. However, you can also hire a radon mitigation service to test the radon levels in your home.
Don't suffer from high levels of radon in your home. Professional radon mitigators have many options, such as installing vents and ducts, that can reduce the levels of radon in your house, returning the air to safe levels again.
Share