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RADON - what is it, what does it do?
Radon is a radioactive gas that cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted! It is the product of natural decay of uranium in the rocks and soil around us. It can be found almost everywhere on earth. If you were to dig up the top 5-feet of an acre of ground, you will find about 50 pounds of uranium on the average.
Radon gas is the source of more radiation than all other natural sources combined. Cosmic rays, internal sources, man-made radiation such as X-rays, nuclear medicine and consumer products all create some radiation. At a level of 1 pCi/L (Pico curie per liter), which is considered to be the average for the general population, 55% of all radiation comes from radon, 27% from other natural sources and 18% from man-made sources.
Radon gas that comes into a home can accumulate to dangerous levels. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon poses a very real health threat. It is the number two cause of lung cancer in America, tobacco smoking being the number one cause. The Environmental Protective Agency claims there are up to 15,000 lung cancer deaths EACH YEAR due to radon gas poisoning. It often affects younger people (children) more because of their higher respiratory rate.
WHERE IS IT MOST PREVALENT?
See Map
HOW WE DETECT IT.
Many people use the "tobacco canister" type detector as available through many retailers. In general these are bulky, expensive to mail, difficult to keep dry in rooms of high humidity (most basements), and count only about 10% of the gamma rays collected - a very inefficient method.
We use a system of "Liquid Scintillation Counting". These are proven a far more efficient and accurate method of counting radon. It counts all 3 types of alpha particles, both 2 types of beta particles and both 2 types of gamma rays. It counts with 100% accuracy rather than the 10% efficiency found with most "tobacco canister" type detection devices. The result is a highly effective, rapid, automated system with three levels of quality control to guarantee to the consumer the most sensitive and most reliable screening test available today.
WHAT IF YOUR HOME HAS IT?
It usually is NOT a reason to cancel the purchase of your new home. Many cures are available to correct the problem. Many of these cures can be as little as $100. Some may be as much as $2000. Many times a seller will help defray your expenses to mitigate the Radon problem. Review the "working clause" of your purchase offer, then --- talk to your Realtor, they are professionals and concerned with your being happy in your new home.
The most important thing is ..
Test for Radon to know if a problem exists.
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