Radon is a radioactive gas found in many households across the world. It is released into the atmosphere as a result of the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon can also enter your home through your water supply, albeit this is a far lower risk than radon entering through the soil. You can have your private well tested for radon if you have one. If the levels are high, the water supply can be treated to remove the radon before it enters your home. If you have radon concerns and your water comes from a public source, you should contact your water supplier.
Radon is thought to be responsible for tens of thousands of deaths per year. This is because breathing radon-contaminated air can cause lung cancer. Only smoking kills more people from lung cancer than radon. Lung cancer is especially likely if you smoke and your home has high radon levels. The only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon is to be tested. It is recommended that all residences below the third floor should be tested for radon to avoid health issues. Testing in schools is also recommended by the EPA. Testing is low-cost and simple, taking only a few minutes of your time. RAdata can also help you with this.
Home buyers and sellers may choose to have a radon test performed by a skilled radon tester who is familiar with the right settings, test instruments, and procedures for achieving a reliable radon test result.
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The water supply in your home might be treated in one of two ways.
- Water that has been treated at the point of entry can efficiently eliminate radon from the water before it enters your home. Aeration devices or granular activated carbon (GAC) filters are commonly used for point-of-entry treatment. While GAC filters are less expensive than aeration devices, they can gather radioactivity and require a special disposal procedure.
- The second option is to use point-of-use treatment systems to remove radon from your water at the faucet, but they only treat a tiny percentage of it, such as the water you consume. The risk of breathing radon discharged into the air from all water used in the home is not reduced by point-of-use devices.
Radon-resistant construction strategies can help prevent radon from entering a home. These simple and inexpensive measures can help reduce indoor radon levels in houses when installed properly and entirely.