January is
National Radon Action Month. What does this mean? Well, it means that the EPA
wants to get the word out about radon in the home and the health issues it can
cause.
We here at NHS of South Buffalo have been working the last six months with an educator at Erie County EPA named Frank Scarpinato towards educating residents on these very topic. We are holding a radon workshop on Saturday, January 12 at 1 p.m. at our 1937 South Park Avenue office. We are also holding on one on Friday, February 15 at 1 p.m. at the South Park office. The workshops are free to attend and you will receive a free radon testing kit for your home. When you get the test results from your kit, you can return to our office and receive a free LED light bulb. In case you can’t make it to one of our workshops, read on to learn about the dangers of radon.
The first
thing you need to know about radon is that it is odorless, colorless and
tasteless. You will never know it’s there. Radon is a radioactive gas that comes
from the natural decay of uranium, which is found in nearly all soil. It moves
up through the ground to the air and typically enters your home through cracks
and other holes in the foundation. There are other ways that radon can enter
the home, but this is the most common. Your home will then trap the radon and
over time, this builds up. Dangerous levels of radon in the home are anything
over 4 pCi/L (or Picocuries Per
Liter), which you
probably are saying, “Huh?!” to such a crazy science term. The only way to know
for sure what the level of radon in your home is, is to test it. Nearly one out
of every fifteen homes in the United States have elevated radon levels.
Many new homes today are build with
radon-resistant construction practices. These can greatly help reduce your home’s
exposure to radon. If you are not lucky enough to have a newer home, there are
ways to help mitigate the radon in your home. Radon mitigation systems should
be installed by a qualified mitigation installer. These systems include a vent
fan, costing roughly around $1200 for the whole system.
If you don’t have the money for
mitigation, don’t test, or you have elevated levels of radon in your home,
there are several health problems that can occur. Radon is the second leading
cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind smoking. Smoking in
combination with radon exposure is a huge health risk. Children have been
reported to have a greater risk than adults of certain types of cancer from
radiation. Of course, like with everything, not everyone exposed to radon
develops health issues.
We hope to see you at one of our two
upcoming radon workshops to learn more in depth and to receive your free radon
testing kit.
January 12, 2013
1 p.m.
1937 South Park Avenue
February 15, 2013
1 p.m.
1937 South Park Avenue
