Important Radon Facts Everyone Should Know
Radon gas is part of your life whether you realize it or not. It’s a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that is released into the environment when natural uranium and other elements in the ground break down. Radon gas can be released anywhere, so here are a few important radon facts everyone should know.
There’s No Safe Level
Because radon is radioactive, even the smallest amounts in your home can cause long-term adverse health effects. The average level of radon in a home is roughly 1.3 pCi/L (picocuries per liter of air). Radon mitigation is recommended at radon levels of more than two pCi/L.
Radon Causes Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a leading health concern in people exposed to radon over a long period of time. When you breathe in air contaminated with radon, those radioactive particles settle in your lungs and break down the tissue over time. Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Americans, right behind cigarette smoking.
Radon Is Present Everywhere
Radon gas can exist indoors and outdoors, as it’s a by-product of radioactive materials in the ground breaking down. It isn’t dangerous outdoors, but it accumulates when it gets trapped in an enclosed building. Luckily, radon mitigation equipment can rid your home or office building of dangerous radon gas.
Testing Is Easy
Radon is odorless and invisible, so you must perform a test in order to know if elevated radon levels are present in your home. You can purchase radon testing kits online or at home improvement stores. They’re easy to use, and testing can save your and your family’s health in the long term.
There Are No Short-Term Symptoms
Unlike carbon monoxide poisoning, there are no short-term symptoms of radon poisoning. Don’t count on headaches or fatigue to tell you that your radon levels are dangerously high; lung cancer is the only health-related symptom of radon poisoning. Rid your home of radon long before you get to that point by installing a mitigation fan from Festa Radon Technologies.
Don’t let radon gas build up in your home; everyone should know these important radon facts to increase safety in the home. Test your radon levels and install mitigation equipment from Festa Radon Technologies to keep this radioactive gas from harming you and your family.