The most substantial epidemiological study ever on the link between residential radon and lung cancer was published the University of Iowa in 2000. The Miners Safety and Health Act (MSHA) covers underground miners. As the US EPA explains, there is no safe level of radon, a radioactive gas which causes lung cancer, the No. You should always try to reduce radon to a practical minimum - if you just settle for 4 pCi/L, your home will be more radioactive than 94% of US homes: The concentration of radon gas is not measured directly but rather by the radioactivity it produces. The President's Cancer Panel issued its "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now" in 2010. Beyond the ultraviolet radiation is a higher-frequency radiation emitted from nuclei of unstable radioactive atoms - ionizing radiation. The visible light is in the middle of its range of wavelengths. How radon sneaks into homes Nearly 8 million US homes, or 1 out of every 15, have radon levels above the EPA's 4 pCi/L "action" limit and nearly 1 out of … Test. Find Radon Zone and Radon Information Near You. Find a Radon Professional WHAT IS A SAFE RADON LEVEL? Learn more about the results of the Federal Radon Action Plan and launching the expanded National Radon Action Plan. People spend most of their time at home - on average 70%, but more in case of women and particularly, children. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.You can’t see or smell radon. It is merely the result of a macroeconomic cost/benefit analysis for the US population at large. and cosmic radiation (photons, muons, etc.) Although the 4 pCi/L level has become a benchmark for real estate transactions, it still carries considerable risks - equivalent to getting a chest x-ray or smoking 10 cigarettes each day. One Becquerel means one radioactive disintegration per second, and 4 pCi/L equals to 148 Bq/m3. 1-800-426-4791– Safe Drinking Water Hotline for general information on drinking water, radon in water, testing and treatment, and standards for radon drinking water. For more information about radon in drinking water please call the state radon office or the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791. Setting the limit at 4 pCi/L benefits (but does not necessarily save) only 30% of the 21,000 people that die each year of radon-attributed lung cancer, while a lower limit of 2 pCi/L would benefit 50%. Test your home today. Radon causes more deaths than fires, drownings, and airplane crashes combined. Radon can also enter the home through well water but usually carries little risk in Kentucky. The Chernobyl disaster was caused by a nuclear accident that occurred on Saturday 26 April 1986, at the No. Considering the high cost of mitigation methods available to homeowners in 1980s (averaging $1,200 but up to $2,500), EPA issued its recommendations: EPA did not want to force homeowners to install costly radon mitigation systems, leaving the decision up to each homeowner. Cosmic radiation consists of a variety of very energetic particles, including protons, muons, and neutrinos, which bombard the earth from outer space. Its 5-year survival rate is only 10–14 percent and thus, it costs only several billion dollars per year. Radon mitigation equipment such as passive radon stacks are becoming mandatory in many regional building codes, and the can be installed afterwards in some situations, but it really depends on your specific level of finishing. One Becquerel equals one radioactive disintegration per second. The risk to the average person of dying of radon-caused lung cancer due to a lifetime exposure to 4 pCi/L radon level at home is 2.3 percent. 489 Bridgeport Ave Suite 101336 Shelton,CT 06484 1-800-472-0603, RadonSeal®, LastiSeal®, and CrackWeld® are registered trademarks. (Nuclear explosions emit one more radiation - neutrons.) The long-wave radiation is infrared and it warms the skin. In an average basement, 38 million atoms will undergo radioactive decay each hour. Operated under a … The Environment Protection Agency was given the task of developing practical guidelines. The study shows that the exposure of adult women to radon over 15 years at the EPA "action" level of 4 pCi/L increases the lung cancer risk by 50 percent. Radon can have a big impact on indoor air quality. It is difficult for people to accept that their home, a place that one looks to for security, is hiding invisible danger. But homes draw concentrated radon gas from the ground. deaths caused radon in the US each year. This 5-year study proves that radon even at the low levels found in homes causes lung cancer and that the risk is proportional to the radon level. Then, almost all is harmlessly exhaled by our lungs or skin until equilibrium is established between the ambient and internal radon concentrations. Radiation from these particles damages our lung tissue, and over a long period may cause lung cancer. There are several types of ionizing radiation: Radon decay chain offers a full menu of ionizing radiation: alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays. Radon in homes is more concentrated and far more dangerous than outdoors - the National Academy of Sciences estimates that the outdoor radon causes only 800 out of the total of 21,000 lung cancer At 4 pCi/L each liter of air contains 70,000 radon atoms. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) limits cumulative radon exposure in the workplace to 30 pCi/L based on 40 working hours per week. The Radon Act 51 passed by the US Congress set the natural outdoor level which averages 0.4 pCi/L as the target radon level for homes which unfortunately most homes (two thirds) exceed. High levels of radon can cause lung cancer, particularly for smokers and ex-smokers. They are not a sound basis for radon mitigation decision. Their annual exposure is limited to less than 4 WLM (Working Level Months), equivalent to 33 pCi/L during their working hours. And, the societal cost of lung cancer deaths caused by radon is relatively low because it kills so quickly, often within months. In 2009, the World Health Organization set a new recommended radon reference level of 2.7 pCi/L for residential structures. The average (mean) radon level in US homes is 1.25 pCi/L, or three times higher than the average level outdoors. Because radon is nine times heavier than air, elevated radon levels build up in basements and on lower floors. However, two thirds of the total effective radiation dose to the average American from all natural sources comes from radon and its progeny. Copyright © 1998-2021 Novion Radon Mitigation & Concrete Waterproofing, a higher radiation dose from radon at home than from all other natural or man-made sources combined, 0.4 pCi/L as the target radon level for homes, the 4 pCi/L action limit is not a "safe" level, cancer risk from radon at the "action" limit is about 1,000-times higher, Most radon-attributed deaths (70%) are caused by radon levels lower than 4 pCi/L, the EPA "action" level of 4 pCi/L increases the lung cancer risk by 50 percent, Lung Cancer Prevention Starts with Radon Mitigation. The higher the level and the longer the period of exposure, the greater the risk will be. The preferred radon level measurement unit is Becquerels per cubic meter, Bq/m3. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. Though radon levels in water aren’t usually high enough to significantly impact the levels of radon in the air, you can take steps to reduce the radon in your water, if necessary. The best thing to do is run your water through a granular activated carbon unit to remove the radon. Short-term radon measurements are often more than a factor of 2 different from the real long-term average, and sometimes more than a factor of 4 different. The high "action limit" reduces the number of lives saved. The average global outdoor radon level varies between 5-15 Bq/m3, equal to 0.135-0.405 pCi/L. Safe radon levels. Is Your Home SAFE? Sunshine is a radiation. 1-800-644-6999*– Radon Fix-It Hotline for general information on fixing or reducing the radon level in your home. But at the same time, EPA has made it clear that the 4 pCi/L action limit is not a "safe" level and warned the public: Any radon exposure has some risk of causing lung cancer. If the cost of radon mitigation was only $600, the action limit recommended to homeowners would have been set at 2 pCi/L. Radioactivity is all around us, as well as within us. How radon sneaks into homes. Some tends to accumulate in fatty issues. Save a life. It has enough power to knock out electrons from atoms and convert them to electrically charged ions, which can damage the large molecules of living cells. Radon produces tiny radioactive particles in the air we breathe. For more info visit short-term vs. long-term radon test kits. 1 cancer killer. Find a Radon Test Kit. The societal cost of mitigating all homes to a 4 pCi/L level was estimated at $44 billion but that would rise to $101 billion if the action level was set at 2 pCi/L. Ionizing radiation damages DNA and just one mutant cell can cause cancer. It encourages the EPA to consider lowering its current "action level" (the level at which remedial action is recommended) of 4 pCi/L for radon exposure, given that new radon risk data have emerged since the existing action level was set. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) includes a process that EPA must follow to identify and list unregulated contaminants. Promoting Radon Awareness. Here are a few pages to read that may help – How to remove radon gas from basements and crawl spaces. Be informed of the dangers of radon & rely on a radon professional. When relaxing at home, we breathe in radon. Purchase a Radon Test Kit Find a Radon Professional Nearby Find a RadonAway Authorized Radon Pro Now! Remove radon from the water using granular activated carbon. Assuming the highest radon level in modern mines, the average person receives in his home at 4 pCi/L over 12 years the same radiation dose as if he/she worked for 5 years in a uranium mine. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Radon Zone and Radon Information Near You, National Radon Action Plan: A Strategy for Saving Lives, Find Local Radon Zones and State Contact Information, Find a Radon Test Kit or Measurement and Mitigation Professional, Radon Media Resources for Partners and Stakeholders, Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction: How to Fix your Home, Radon-Resistant Construction Basics and Techniques, Proposed Criteria for Radon Credentialing Organizations. The shortest wavelength is ultraviolet radiation which causes skin cancer. Unlike radon levels in homes, occupational radon limits are governed by law and regulations. An official website of the United States government. EPA has drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants. Although the U.S. Congress has set the natural radon concentration outdoors as the target level for homes, approximately two thirds of homes exceed it. The average (mean) radon level in US homes is 1.25 pCi/L, or three times higher than the average level outdoors. The Kentucky Radon Program encourages continuous education on radon gas. Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless and invisible gas produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. There is No Safe Radon Level. "Action limit" does not imply safety. A Curie is a unit of radioactivity equivalent to 1 gram of radium and the prefix "pico" means a trillionth. (EPA). Shockingly, the cancer risk from radon at the "action" limit is about 1,000-times higher than the safety limits allowed for suspected carcinogens and toxins in food or drinking water. But less than 1% of the inhaled atoms get trapped and we thus accumulate in our airways about 600,000 radioactive particles every hour. Radon is the "silent killer." But radon decay products, radioactive solid particles, much smaller than household dust, float in the air and get trapped in our lungs, trachea, and bronchi. This process may lead to development of a national primary drinking water regulation (NPDWR) in the future. Most radon-attributed deaths (70%) are caused by radon levels lower than 4 pCi/L (BEIR VI, 1998). In the metric system, radon concentration is expressed in Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). Read More Natural radioactivity is common in the rocks and soil that make up our planet – over 60 radionuclides (radioactive elements) can be found in nature. Unfortunately, that's not possible. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. EPA Action Level Buying or Selling YOUR HOME? The best radon level measurement would be zero. 4 reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, near the city of Pripyat in the north of the Ukrainian SSR. Yet, the average person receives a higher radiation dose from radon at home than from all other natural or man-made sources combined. If there are five people in your family, the chances that someone becomes a victim of radon over 10 percent. (Radon causes 26% of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers.). Although radon in homes has been declared a national health problem, there are no federal or state standards. Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem. Fix. It is expressed in picoCuries per liter of air, or "pCi/L". It is soluble in blood and circulates through the body and all organs. When they shoot out alpha particles, they damage the DNA of epithelial cells, causing mutations and lung cancer. Radon Gas Is All Around Us. Nearly 8 million US homes, or 1 out of every 15, have radon levels above the EPA's 4 pCi/L "action" limit and nearly 1 out of 6 exceed the EPA's 2 pCi/L "consider action" limit. Spending money, for example, on an anti-smoking campaign saves more lives, even though it is unfair to non-smokers and children who may be exposed to radon gas. Read the National Radon Action Plan: A Strategy for Saving Lives. The lower the radon level in your home, the lower your family's risk of lung cancer. Background radiation levels are a combination of terrestrial (radium, thorium, radon, etc.) Outdoor radon levels in the U.S. range from 0.02 to 0.75 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter), averaging 0.4 pCi/L. A half of American homes have a radon level above 0.67 pCi/L (the median level). The "action" limit is based on the average cost of a radon mitigation system in 1980s – $1,200. Your level of radon & rely on a radon mitigation was only $,... A national primary drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants its 5-year survival rate only! Air we breathe in radon level varies between 5-15 Bq/m3, equal to 0.135-0.405 pCi/L )! 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