Why is it Important to Know About Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soil, rock, and water throughout the U.S. It is commonly found in New England. The primary concern about indoor radon gas is the increased risk of lung cancer from breathing radon and its byproducts. The magnitude of the risk depends on the radon concentration in the air you breathe and how long you are breathing it. Testing for radon in the air you breathe should be a high priority and the first step for anyone concerned about radon gas. The U.S. Surgeon General, U.S. EPA, AARST, and the American Lung Association recommend that all homes be tested for radon gas.

 

Our radon air tests are performed with Sun Nuclear CRM 1027 continuous monitoring systems. These machines take hourly readings for 48 hours and calculate the EPA protocol average. They have internal motion sensors that detect and report any movement during testing.

Radon Graph | Windham, NH | About The House

Health Effects of Radon

Almost all risk from radon comes from breathing air with radon and its decay products. Radon decay products cause lung cancer. The health risk of ingesting radon, in water, for example, is dwarfed by the threat of inhaling radon and its decay products. They occur in indoor air or with tobacco smoke.

 

Alpha radiation directly causes damage to sensitive lung tissue. Most of the radiation dose is not actually from radon itself, which is mostly exhaled. It comes from radon's chain of short-lived solid decay products that are inhaled on dust particles and lodge in the airways of the lungs. These radionuclides decay quickly, producing other radionuclides that continue damaging the lung tissue.

 

There is no safe level of radon--any exposure poses some cancer risk. In two 1999 reports, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after an exhaustive review that radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after cigarette smoking. The NAS estimated that 15,000-22,000 Americans die yearly from radon-related lung cancer.

 

When people who smoke are exposed to radon, the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly higher than the risk of smoking alone.

*From the EPA website regarding radon

Radon Mitigation System | Windham, NH | About The House

Health Effects of Radon

Almost all risk from radon comes from breathing air with radon and its decay products. Radon decay products cause lung cancer. The health risk of ingesting radon, in water, for example, is dwarfed by the threat of inhaling radon and its decay products. They occur in indoor air or with tobacco smoke.

Radon Mitigation System | Windham, NH | About The House

Alpha radiation directly causes damage to sensitive lung tissue. Most of the radiation dose is not actually from radon itself, which is mostly exhaled. It comes from radon's chain of short-lived solid decay products that are inhaled on dust particles and lodge in the airways of the lungs. These radionuclides decay quickly, producing other radionuclides that continue damaging the lung tissue.

 

There is no safe level of radon--any exposure poses some cancer risk. In two 1999 reports, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) concluded after an exhaustive review that radon in indoor air is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. after cigarette smoking. The NAS estimated that 15,000-22,000 Americans die yearly from radon-related lung cancer.

 

When people who smoke are exposed to radon, the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly higher than the risk of smoking alone.

*From the EPA website regarding radon

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