January is National Radon Action Month. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas caused by the breakdown of radioactive materials, mainly uranium, within the earth. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. If you are a smoker, your radon risk is much greater.
The risk of radon is largely overlooked in the Athens area, but high levels can be found in our area as well as in homes all over the United States. It seeps up from the ground, through the homes foundation or flooring, and can become trapped within the living space. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), you and your family are most likely at your greatest risk while in your home.
I often hear “my home is newer so I don’t have to worry about radon.” Nothing could be farther from the truth. Radon does not recognize the homes age and every age home is susceptible to high levels. Whether your home is on a crawl space, basement, or slab, you are at risk. The EPA estimates that one out of every 15 homes has high radon levels.
The only way to know if your home has elevated radon levels is to have it tested. Testing your home is a simple non-invasive procedure that only takes a few days. I use an electronic continuous radon monitor that takes hourly readings and averages them together. The system prints out an easy to interpret report with a color graph. The EPA recommended action level is at 4.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). Therefore it is recommended that any home with a reading over 4.0 pCi/L be mitigated.
If your home is found to have elevated radon levels, it is recommended that a radon mitigation system be installed. Mitigation systems basically consist of PVC pipe and a continuously running blower fan. The pipe is inserted through your foundation and runs up and out of the home (typically through your roof.) The fan draws the radon saturated air from the ground before it is able to seep into the home and expels it outside. Mitigation systems can also have a side effect of reduced humidity within the home. This makes for a more comfortable and reduced allergen living environment.
If you would like to learn more about radon, you can visit http://www.epa.gov/radon, or http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html . Even if you are not buying or selling, it’s not a bad idea to get your place checked out. Jared
Great article. Public radon education is crucial. I have also met many people who assume that because their home does not have a basement, that radon is not an issue. Homes that are built slab-on-grade or over a crawl can draw in radon as well. It’s always a good idea to test any home.
I have to admit that I thought radon was a Northern and Mid-Western thing. I have a listing right now, and they have a very complex radon mitigation system in their basement. The sellers are originally from Indiana, and I thought they were just being overly cautious. I just learned something this week. Thanks Jared.
Lastly, when Jared and I spoke about this post before he posted it, he described to me in detail the very politically influenced “radon map” of Georgia. Jared, in the interest of public safety, can you briefly explain in this response section what it was you told me so everyone can get a sense of radon prevalence in GA? Thanks. Joe P.
Hey Joe,
I want to start by saying that I do not have written verification of this. I was told by someone that is very knowledgeable on the subject that the original EPA radon map of Georgia looked different than the one we use today.
If you look at the map today (http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap/georgia.htm), the top half of the state is mostly orange (Zone 2 – Moderate Potential) with red (Zone 1 – Highest Potential) concentrated in four counties in the Atlanta area. On the original map, the majority of the orange was red. Someone or group did not like this and petitioned to the EPA. Some concessions were made and now the majority of this area is orange.
I have talked with several radon mitigation contractors in the area and they all seem to agree that we are at a greater risk than most people think. We have a lot of granite in our soil and supposedly a large vein that runs across the top half of the state. According the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, “one in six northeast Georgia homes tested through the University of Georgia College of Family & Consumer Science’s have radon levels above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action level of 4 pCi/l.”
Bottom line is that if you have not had your home tested, you don’t know if you’re at risk. Even if you don’t hire a professional, you can contact the UGA cooperative extension office for a free test kit. I don’t recommend these for real estate transactions, but they work just fine for homeowners.
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