Q. |
What
is radon? |
A. |
Radon
is a radioactive gas that is found in the earth's
rock and soil. It is formed by the natural breakdown
of uranium,which decays into radon gas.
As radon decays, it forms radioactive by-products
called either "progeny," "decay
products" or"daughters" which,
if inhaled, can damage lung tissue and cause
lung cancer.
Invisible and odorless, radon is a health hazard
when it accumulates inside homes or other structures.
And it is deadly. Indoor radon exposure is estimated
to be the second leading cause of lung cancer
deaths each year in the United States, causing
20,000 lung cancer deaths per year; one death
every 25 minutes. Cigarette smoking is responsible
for the large majority (87 percent) of lung
cancer deaths. |
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Q. |
How
dangerous is radon? |
A. |
Radon
exposure over time at sufficient concentrations
causes lung cancer, especially in smokers, and
it is believed to be more dangerous to the very
young. The last statistics that I have heard
was that lung cancer is fatal in 95 percent
of persons having it. Lung cancer progresses
rapidly, and there is usually only about 6 months
from the time of its occurring until death. |
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Q. |
Is radon
visible to the human eye or can we smell it? |
A. |
None
of our five senses can detect the presence of
radon. We can detect its presence only by way
of tests, which look for and measure alpha or
gamma radiation of a specific energy level.
Do it yourself radon test kits are reasonably
reliable, readily available and inexpensive.
Testing protocol for the tests must be followed. |
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Q. |
Are
there any symptoms for the inhabitants of a
house suspected of having radon? |
A. |
So
far as I know, there are no symptoms, except
that if one of the residents contracts lung
cancer, it will be but a short period before
it is apparent that the person is very seriously
sick. And of course, then it is too late in
almost every case. But testing the home and
installing a radon reduction system may save
the life of another family member. |
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Q. |
What
do I need to do to get a radon test of my house? |
A. |
Professional
radon measurement folks are often listed in
the telephone yellow pages. You also may contact
Illinois Emergency Management Agency Radon Program,
which will provide you with a list of licensed
testers. We can also furnish you with a list
of licensed testers. |
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Q. |
How
effective are the "do it yourself" kits for
radon measurement? |
A. |
I believe that the kits are of uniformly good
quality, and they will provide you with a reliable
indication of the radon exposure, so long as
the testing protocols are follow precisely.
The greatest opportunity for error to be introduced
is in the testing protocol, including the return
of the device to the laboratory. Of course,
the product must be listed by name within the
EPA device list. |
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Q. |
If
I want to get an outside vendor to do a radon
test what are the criteria I should use in finding
a reputable vendor? |
A. |
Call
IEMA Radon Program at 217.782.1325 or Radon
Reduction for manes of Illinois licensed Measurement
Professionals. The law forbids anyone from testing
and mitigating the same house. |
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Top |
Q. |
How
can I know whether a particular town has a lot
of radon in its homes? |
A. |
What
should concern you is whether or not your OWN
home has radon. It is not important if a town
has lots of radon or not. Radon can always be
fixed. And the fixes are very reliable. Radon
Reduction has a survey of homes that Illinois
conducted in every county of the state and the
radon test results. I would be happy to share
this information with you for any county in
Illinois that you would like to have the test
results for. |
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Q. |
Does
radon effect all the rooms of a house? |
A. |
Radon
is found at higher concentrations in a basement
or at ground level. My major radon concern is
in bedrooms, children's play rooms and the rooms
where invalids may be. Test those rooms for
sure. |
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Q. |
At
what level of radon reading in my house should
I get concerned? |
A. |
4.0
picoCuries per Liter is the official IEMA Radon
Program "action level." I have heard it suggested
that such level is VERY ROUGHLY the equivalent
of smoking seven cigarettes per day. You may
seek a lower exposure. We recently installed
a system in a home that tested 2.6 pCi/L. The
owner could smell odors in the lower level that
no one else could. We installed the radon reduction
system, and the post test was 0.6 and the owner
could no longer smell the odors. The lower level
of radon in the home, the healthier the home
is. When radon is reduced, all other soil gasses
are also reduced. |
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Q. |
If
I find I have radon in my home how do I get
rid of it or is there no cure? |
A. |
Radon
cures are usually fairly quick and reliable
even if your home has levels in the hundreds!
It may likely be reduced to less than 4.0 without
great difficulty. Sometimes a radon reduction
to less than 1.0 pCi/L is possible. |
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Q. |
Should
I get radon "check ups" for my home? Does the
radon level vary? |
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A. |
IEMA Radon Program suggests testing your home
every two years. You can hire an Illinois Licensed
Radon Measurement Professional or the occupant
of the home can buy a do-it-yourself kit. |
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