Amador County News

Radon in California

May 29, 2009

Radon in California

_*[Information from the California Department of Health Services] *_ _Press Release: (5.26.2009)_ California Geological Survey Releases Radon Potential Report [bullet] Lake Tahoe Area is at High Risk for Radon Exposure

What is Radon? Radon is a naturally occurring, cancer-causing radioactive gas. It is produced by the normal decay of uranium, an element that is found in nearly all soils. Impossible to detect without a test, radon gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless. Radon gas levels in California.

To date, surveys indicate that elevated radon levels can be found in any part of the state. The estimated number of California homes exceeding the recommended U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) action level of 4 picoCuries is roughly one percent, or approximately 100,000 homes. The California Department of Health Services (DHS), along with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and EPA, have identified several areas with a higher-than-statewide-average of homes with high radon levels. These areas include sections of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Ongoing testing by DHS in these and other counties continues to identify areas of high radon potential.

In addition to geographic location, other factors can affect radon levels, such as house structure, soil! house pressures, climatic conditions, and soil permeability. If you are concerned about radon gas, DHS recommends testing. Testing is the only way to determine the radon level in your home.

What are the health risks of radon?

The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States -- after smoking. A known human carcinogen, radon is estimated to cause approximately 1,100 lung cancer deaths per year in California. DHS and EPA believe that any radon exposure carries some risk --no level of radon is safe.

How can radon affect you and your family?

Everyone who breathes is at risk from radon. As radon decays, it changes into other radioactive elements. These elements can become trapped in the lungs as the radon decay process releases energy in the form of particles. Over the course of a lifetime, this process can damage lung tissue and increase the risk of lung cancer. Your risk of developing lung cancer from radon gas depends on:

+ How much radon is in the home.
+ The amount of time spent at home.
+ Whether you are a smoker (or if you have ever smoked - smoking combined with radon is an especially serious lung cancer risk).

How does radon enter the home?

Typically, radon gas moves up through the soil into your home through cracks in the foundation and walls, pores in hollow-block walls, and gaps in suspended floors and around service pipes.

Homes often draw in radon because of differences in pressure caused by a variety of factors. Your home can trap radon inside, where it can build up to elevated levels.

Radon can also be present in well water, which then is released into the air by showering or other water usage. In most cases, radon in water is a small risk compared to radon gas entering the home from the soil.

How is radon gas detected?

Since you can't see, smell, feel or taste radon gas, you need specialized equipment to test for it. The types of commercially available detectors that can be purchased by home owners are:

+ Charcoal canister (or liquid scintillation device) designed for short-term screening (two to seven days).
+ Filtered or unfiltered alpha track detector for longer-term measurement (generally three months to one year).
These detectors usually cost less than $20, which includes postage and the test report.

All types of detectors are acceptable, but since the amount of radon gas escaping from the ground varies from day-to-day and season-to-season, the longer-term test will give you a more representative assessment of your actual radon gas exposure.

Test kits are available in some hardware stores and home improvement centers. Whether using a short-or long-term test, use a device that is state-certified by DHS. A list of mail-order companies handling certified detectors is available from DHS. If you wish to hire a company to conduct testing for you, make sure it is also certified by DHS.

What do test results mean?

Radon gas is measured in picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). Average radon concentrations range from about 0.4 pCi/L outdoors to around 1.3 pCi/L indoors. If short-term tests register levels of 4 pCi/L or higher, DHS and EPA recommend testing with a long-term test (for a better understanding of your year-round average). If you need results right away, verify the first test with a second short-term test. If results are still above 4 pCi/L, you should correct the problem. Radon levels below 4 pCiIL still pose some risk, therefore you may wish to consider further reductions. The higher the radon level, the greater the risk of lung cancer.

What if the test results are high?

There are several methods of lowering radon levels in your home. Some techniques prevent radon from infiltrating, while others reduce the radon gas after it has already entered the home. Usually, DHS and EPA recommend those methods that prevent the entry of radon.

Lowering high radon levels requires technical knowledge and special skills; therefore a trained contractor should be used. DHS can provide a list of state-certified contractors. The cost of making repairs to reduce radon gas depends on a variety of factors, but for most homes such repairs will range from approximately $500 to $2,500.

Radon tests and contractors must be certified.

To ensure consumer protection, DHS regulates the radon service industry through a state certification program. Any company providing radon services to the public must be certified and provide its certification number to clients.

Also, California has a real estate disclosure law that requires the disclosure of known environmental hazards, including radon, by the seller to the buyer.

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