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I care about your home and family as much as
you do
DVI INC
Bristol Tennessee
423-878-3297 Inspect it before you buy or sell! Serving Bristol, Johnson City, Kingsport, Blountville, Bluff City,
Piney Flats,
Erwin, Elizabethton, Jonesborough, Hampton, Surgoinsville, Church Hill,
Rogersville, Shady Valley, Abingdon, Marion, Gate City, Mendota, Damascus,
Meadowview, Saltville, Atkins
Call us today to schedule your radon test 423-878-3297 Radon We realize most people find it
difficult to understand radon; a colorless, odorless, inert radioactive gas. You
cannot see it, smell it, or feel it; yet we cannot completely avoid breathing
radon. There is about 0.35 pCi/L of radon in the outside air we breathe.
Understanding the risks associated with radiation exposure is even more
perplexing. I hope reading this article, will enable you to make an informed
decision about the radon levels measured in your house. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
1. WHERE DOES RADON
COME FROM?
Radon comes from the natural radioactive decay of radium and
uranium found in the soil beneath the house. The amount of radon in the soil
depends on complex soil chemistry, that varies from one house to the next.
Radon levels in the soil range from a few hundred to several thousands of
pCi/L. The amount of radon that escapes from the soil to enter the house
depends on the weather, soil porosity, soil moisture, and the suction within
the house. 2. HOW DOES RADON GET
INTO THE HOUSE?
Houses act like large chimneys. As the air in the house warms, it
rises to leak out the attic openings and around the upper floor windows. This
creates a small suction at the lowest level of the house, pulling the radon
out of the soil and into the house. You can test this on a cold day by
opening a top floor window an inch. You will notice warm air from the house
rushing out that opening; yet, if you open a basement window an inch, you
will feel the cold outside air rushing in. This suction is what pulls the
radon out of the soil and into the house. You might think caulking the cracks
and the openings in the basement floor will stop the radon from entering the
house. However, scientific studies show, it only takes enough unsealed cracks
or pin holes in the caulking to equal a hole 1/2" in diameter to let all
the radon in. It is unlikely that caulking the accessible cracks and joints
will permanently seal the openings radon needs to enter the house. The radon
levels will still likely remain unchanged. Fortunately, there are other extremely effective means of keeping
radon out of your home. Throughout the country, several million people have
already tested for radon. Some houses tested as high as 2,000-3,000 pCi/L;
yet, there hasn't been one house that could not mitigate to an acceptable
level. Mitigation usually costs between $1000-$2000. 3. WHAT ABOUT RADON
IN WELL WATER?
Underground well water can transport the radon from the soil into
the house, when taking a shower, doing laundry, or washing dishes. The EPA
says it takes about 10,000 pCi/L of radon in water to contribute 1.0 pCi/L of
radon in air throughout the house. The ratio of radon in water to radon in bathroom
air while showering can be much higher, typically from 100 to 1; to about 300
to 1. 4. WHAT ABOUT RADON
IN CITY WATER?
If your water comes from a municipal reservoir supply, you need
not worry about radon in the water. When radon in water is stored in a
reservoir for more than 30 days, the radon decays away to practically
nothing. Every 3.825 days half the radon disappears through natural
radioactive decay. 5. WHAT IS THE RISK
OF RADON EXPOSURE?
Scientists believe radon exposure is the second leading cause of
lung cancer. When radon decays, it shoots off alpha particles. These are
small, heavy, electrically charged, sub-atomic particles consisting of two
protons and two neutrons. If an alpha particle strikes the chromosomes in a
lung cell, it could alter the way that cell reproduces. Our bodies immune
system should recognize and destroy these mutant cells before they can
multiply over the next 10 to 20 years into a recognizable cancerous growth. Some peoples immune system is better than others. Because of
these inherent differences, radon doesn't affect everyone the same. 6. HOW SERIOUS A RISK
IS RADON?
According to the following EPA radon risk chart, radon is a
serious health problem. If 1,000 people were exposed to this level over a life time who
are: Annual Radon Level....Smokers.............Never Smokers 20 pCi/L....14% or135 people.....0.8% or 8 people could get lung cancer 10 pCi/L.....7% or 71 people.....0.4% or 4 people could get lung cancer 4 pCi/L......3% or 29 people.....0.2% or 2 people could get lung cancer 2 pCi/L......2% or 15 people.....0.1% or 1 person could get lung cancer 7. DO SCIENTISTS AGREE THAT
RADON IS DANGEROUS TO BREATHE?
There is little disagreement that
breathing the hundreds of pCi/L of radon that caused thousands of uranium
miners to get fatal lung cancer is definitely harmful. Many scientists
disagree with the EPA about what the level of radon should be before it
should be reduced. The EPA studied the lung cancer risk of
uranium miners exposed to 400 pCi/L. They assume the risk of a home owner
exposed to 4 pCi/L to be one hundredth as much. Based on this assumption, the
EPA guideline level of 4 pCi/L represents a much greater risk than allowed
for other environmental pollutants. Other scientists have tested more than
70,000 homes across the United States. This study shows the counties with the
highest average radon levels had the lowest incidence of cancer. Perhaps,
breathing the low levels of radon found in the home environment, might not be
harmful. Neither study fully accounts for all the different confounding
factors that can cause cancer. The truth probably lies somewhere between
these two theories. 8. WHO DO I BELIEVE?
In 1988 the United States Congress
passed legislation, directing the EPA to work toward a long term national
goal, "The air within buildings in the United States should be as free
of radon as the ambient air outside of buildings." Real estate agents
are hired and paid by the sellers, to represent the sellers economic
interests, in the sale of their house. Understandably, you might get two
completely different opinions about radon, depending whether you ask the EPA,
or your real estate agent. Because you have hired us to test for radon, and
explain the test results. We will offer our opinion on the subject, and
guidance on a prudent course of action. 9. WHAT SHOULD I DO ABOUT THE
LEVELS OF RADON IN MY HOME?
The following represents our opinion,
based on our understanding of the radon issue from several sources.
10. WHAT OTHER FACTORS SHOULD I
LOOK AT IN DECIDING WHETHER TO MITIGATE OR NOT?
Cigarette smokers should keep their
exposure to radon as low as possible. Smokers have eight times the risk from radon
as non smokers. Smokers who reduce their radon exposure from 6 pCi/L to 2
pCi/L, will receive as much beneficial risk reduction as the non smoker who
reduces their exposure from 34 pCi/L to 2 pCi/L. If the house was tested in an
infrequently used basement. It may have measured a radon level that is two to
three times the actual level you are exposed to, spending most of your time
upstairs. You can reduce your families annual
radon exposure about 40%, if you open the basement windows a few inches to allow
cross ventilation from May till September. This may be appropriate for
slightly elevated houses that don't need year round reductions. People with young children should be
more concerned with the possible consequences of radon exposure 20 years from
now than someone in their late sixties or seventies. Families with a hereditary
predisposition of cancer should be more concerned about radon exposure than
families who don't have any history of cancer. If you work for a company that might
transfer you in the future, our employer probably will hire a relocation
company to purchase your home. Today, most relocation companies insist that
the house test below 4 pCi/L before they will buy it. Some buyers have
adopted this position; anything below 4 pCi/L is fine while anything above 4
pCi/L is unacceptable. This unfortunate misinterpretation of EPA guidance,
could cause you to pay for a radon mitigation system when selling your home.
At this time your family would not receive any benefit from the radon reductions.
The decision, What to do about radon? is
a personal choice that only you can make. Some people feel it is best to
reduce as many of life's risks as they can. Other people feel the money spent
installing and operating a radon mitigation system on a moderately elevated
home could be put to better use, having regular family medical and dental
check ups, or making other safety improvements in their home. 11. WHAT IF, I DECIDE TO REDUCE
THE RADON LEVELS IN MY HOME?
If you feel the radon levels are high enough
to justify installing a radon mitigation system, we recommend installing a
good quality, durable, energy efficient system. All our radon reports testing
above 4 pCi/L, include detailed specifications, describing the installation
and materials needed to achieve this. It is best to have all mitigation
contractors bid on installing the system exactly as specified in this report.
All too often the sellers or their agents end up deciding, who will do the
work, and how it will be done. Their main concern is that it be installed as
cheaply as possible to get the radon levels down below 4 pCi/L for the
retest. Often they have the contractor who installed the system, do the
retesting to verify it is below 4 pCi/L, before he gets paid. This could
create a possible conflict of interest. 12. WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A
PROPERLY INSTALLED SYSTEM?
13. WHO SHOULD PAY TO GET THE
RADON REDUCED?
If you are buying a house, this is
strictly a matter of negotiation for which there are no hard and fast rules.
Some people will choose to follow one of the GOLDEN RULES, Do unto others as
you would have them do unto you, or He who has the gold makes the rules.
No matter who ends up paying for the system, it is in your best interest that
you be the one to select the contractor and specify how the work will be
done. If you leave these decisions to others you might not end up with the
type of system you want to have. Most contractors will give you a written bid
of exactly how much the system will cost when you have them install it. Do
not worry if the radon can be successfully reduced; this is a sure thing. In
most cases, contractors will guarantee that they will reduce the levels to
below 4 pCi/L. Properly installed systems usually get the radon down to below
2 pCi/L and sometimes even below 1 pCi/L. We have tested several houses that
originally measured more than 100 pCi/L, that where mitigated to levels below
2 pCi/L. 14. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO
OPERATE THESE SYSTEMS?
Most systems are powered by a 90 watt
fan that use less than $52.00 worth of electricity a year. These fans should
last about 14.7 years and presently cost about $150.00 to replace. If the
system is properly installed and well sealed, there shouldn't be any
noticeable increases in the heating bills. However, if the cracks and joints
in a finished basement cannot be sealed, the heating cost might increase
slightly. Check this on a cold day by feeling the amount of warm air blowing
from the fan. 15. HOW CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT
RADON?
The EPA's hotline at 1 800-SOS-RADON
will be happy to answer your questions and send you their pamphlets about
radon. They can send you a list of radon contractors and tell you how to get
their technical publications about radon and radon mitigation.
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