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What to Do If Radon Levels are High

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Radon levels determine the amount of radon present in your home. The safest radon level is zero, but it is pretty challenging to keep it at zero level unless your home was built with radon reduction construction techniques since it is naturally occurring. Besides, radon levels may vary from time to time, so it is recommended to test your home for radon. And if the radon levels are high, you need to reduce them as soon as possible. In this article, learn some radon reduction strategies that can provide both short-term and long-term benefits.

Radon Testing

One of the first things you need to do before doing any radon reduction technique is radon testing. Doing so allows you to tell if your home has high radon levels. There are several ways to test your home for radon, including short-term and long-term testing. Suppose you are in a hurry; you can measure radon for two to three days. For a short-term test, it is recommended to keep your doors and windows closed as much as possible. This way, you can avoid the fans from bringing air from outside. You may use the following devices for short term radon testing:

  • alpha-track detectors
  • charcoal canisters
  • charcoal liquid scintillation detectors
  • continuous monitors
  • electret ion chambers

Since radon levels might change from day to day or month to month, it would be best to opt for long-term radon testing. This is because, according to radon experts, you’ll get the most accurate results from this kind of test. Long-term radon testing measures radon levels for more than 90 days, including alpha-track and electret ion chamber detectors.

Radon Reduction Techniques

Once you have completed a radon test, it’s time to assess whether your home has high radon levels or not. And suppose the level is high, here are some radon reduction techniques that you can do.


1. Create a gas-permeable layer that is beneath the slab or flooring. Doing so allows the radioactive gas to move under your house. However, this technique only works if you have a basement or slab foundation.

2. Install a plastic sheeting that goes on top of the gas-permeable layer under the slab. With this technique, you can prevent radon from entering your home.

3. Install a soil suction radon reduction system. It is also called a vent pipe and fan system. With this radon reduction technique, you can keep the gas from accumulating inside your home.

4. Seal and caulk the foundation cracks and openings. Doing so helps reduce the amount of radon entering your home.

If you test your home for radon and the radon levels are high, it is recommended to try the above techniques and see if they will work for your home. If you find it challenging to fix the radon issues, you may hire a radon contractor. The EPA recommends that you have to hire a qualified radon mitigation contractor to improve your home because it may need a radon mitigation system installed. You may contact your state radon office for a list of licensed radon mitigation professionals in your area.

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What is A Radon Test?

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Radon is a naturally occurring gas, and it is prevalent in the United States. However, some people are still unaware that this cancer-causing gas exists. The worst part is they don’t know much about radon. Some people think that it is not that dangerous, not knowing that it is the second leading cause of cancer, next to smoking. If you know someone who lacks knowledge about radon, or you also have questions regarding this matter, we’re here to help you. In this article, understand what radon is and what it can do. You’ll also know the importance of conducting a radon test.

Defining Radon in 2021

According to the World Health Organization, high concentrations of radon may be found in indoor environments. Meaning, this can be found in homes and workplaces. Many people find it hard to detect radon because it has no color, smell, and taste. This is why conducting a radon test is crucial to see if your home or property is positive for this radioactive gas.

But how does radon occur? WHO explains that radon escapes from the ground into the air. As time passes by, it decays and produces radioactive particles, which are more dangerous because they can be deposited on the cells lining the airways. Once this happens, the particles can damage the DNA, which can cause lung cancer over time.

Radon is more dangerous indoors since radon quickly dilutes outdoors. It goes down to very low concentrations, which generally does not pose a problem. The World Health Organization indicated that the average outdoor radon level 1 varies from 5 Bq/m3 to 15 Bq/m3. However, this radioactive gas becomes higher, especially indoors when there is minimal ventilation. Furthermore, the radon levels in buildings such as homes, schools, and offices, vary from 10 Bq/m3 to more than 10 000 Bq/m3.

What Radon Does to You

Although limited research shows the other adverse effects of radon, the WHO has confirmed that an increased rate of lung cancer was first seen in uranium miners exposed to very high radon concentrations. Moreover, studies in Europe, North America, and China have confirmed that even low concentrations of radon can also pose health risks. It is believed that radon is more likely to cause lung cancer to those who smoke. Based on research, smokers are estimated to be 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers.

Radon Test: Why It is Important?

Now that you understand how harmful radon is, it’s time to do the preventive measures to avoid its adverse effects. The question is, what is the first thing you need to do? The first step to combat the damaging effects of cancer-causing gas is to conduct a radon test. There are different types of radon testing, and one of these is the passive form where you can use do-it-yourself home radon test kits. Although they are very affordable, they don’t provide accurate results. Worry not because many organizations nowadays have been working to improve the reliability of testing devices. Not only that but many states have already conducted studies to test the reliability of these devices. 

If you want more accurate results, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends hiring a qualified professional radon contractor when conducting a radon test. Know that the primary entry sites for radon are below-grade cracks or openings. This may include the wall and floor joints, cracks in walls and floors, loose-fitting pipe penetrations, and sump pump openings. Therefore, radon testing is a must because it is the only way to check if a building has high radon levels.

Radon has been there in the environment for years. Although there is nothing people can do to stop it from occurring, there are different ways to avoid its adverse effects. If you want to keep yourself away from cancer and other respiratory diseases, make sure that your home is radon-free. And the only way to find whether it is safe from this radioactive gas is by conducting a radon test.

The Health Risks of Radon: Updates for 2021

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More and more people are becoming aware of how dangerous radon is. It’s everywhere, and though it seems like there’s nothing you can do about it, the truth is there are several ways to avoid its health risks. Reducing radon levels at home is a vital step to lower your risks of getting lung cancer. But before you do the proper steps to decrease radon levels, it is essential to know why you’re doing it. Aside from causing cancer, radon is also linked to other health risks.

Radon’s Adverse Effects

Many studies have proven that radon is a cancer-causing gas. According to the World Health Organization, this radioactive gas causes between three to 14 percent of lung cancers in a country though it depends on the radon level’s national average. Uranium miners have been reported to be highly exposed to radon, increasing their rate of lung cancer. However, there are also radon concentrations that can be found in residential settings worldwide, so you’ll never know whether you are safe from radon exposure or not. Aside from lung cancer, the following are the health risks of radon:

Lung Tissue Damage

Radon exposure does not lead to lung cancer right away. Exposing yourself to this radioactive gas, whether in low or high concentrations, can cause damage to your lungs. Once you inhale radon regularly, the chances of getting lung cancer are high because it slowly damages your lung tissues.

Radon is everywhere, but there are several ways to determine whether it is present or not. Besides, simple radon test kits are already available in the market, allowing you to test your home for radon. If you think you cannot do it alone and you need assistance, you may call radon contractors for help. Remember, prevention is better than cure, so make sure to decrease your home’s radon levels to avoid lung tissue damage and cancer.

Radon Poisoning

Since radon is invisible, odorless, and tasteless, it’s hard to know whether it is there or not. The problem is, radon can cause poisoning, creating harmful physical changes. Radon poisoning is just one of the health risks of radon, and it occurs when large amounts of this gas enter your body. Radon is a naturally occurring element. It takes a gaseous form at standard temperatures and pressures. It may not be as harmful as other radioactive substances, but it can lead to several health risks.

Radon Prevention

Decreasing radon levels may take time, but starting it right away is necessary to avoid its adverse effects. Determine the radon levels so that you can think of better ways to lower them. The following methods would help you manage radon issues:

  • Create a sub-slab-depressurization which consists of a vent pipe system and a fan. It pulls radon from under the house, then eventually vents it to the outside.
  • Improve your home’s ventilation because it is one way to avoid moving radon from the lower floors to the rest of the home.
  • Install a radon sump system which refers to having an under-floor cavity into which a pipe is inserted. A fan will then pull the air and radon up and away from your home.
  • Make positive pressurization which blows fresh filtered air into the home to clear out radon.

Radon is indeed a harmful radioactive gas. Exposing yourself to exceptionally high concentrations can damage your lung tissue which can result in lung cancer. Not only that, but it is also linked to physical changes since radon can cause poisoning. If you want to avoid health risks of radon, make sure to call your radon contractor today to reduce the radon levels in your home.

Radon Levels: What Do They Mean?

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There could be many times when you have heard how dangerous radon is. But some of you may not know what radon level is considered hazardous. Although it is indeed better to make every home radon-free, some establishments with high radon levels may not be able to become radon-resistant instantly. But it is essential to target radon levels that are tolerable and safer. But what do radon levels mean? How are they measured, and which radon level is considered safe? Find out all the answers here.

What are Radon Levels?

Radon levels refer to the amount of radon present in your home, school, or office. You can determine them with a radon test. There are several ways on how to test an area for radon. Knowing radon levels is important because it is one of the vital steps to plan on how to reduce them. As mentioned, zero radon level is the safest, but suppose your home has high radon levels, the first thing to do is to lower it.

Which Radon Level is Tolerable?

Since radon is a naturally occurring gas, you’ll never know whether your area will be forever radon-free. That’s why radon testing is recommended every six months. The average global outdoor radon level may vary between 5-15 Bq/m3. This is also equal to 0.135-0.405 pCi/L. It only means that for every 99.9 Bq/m3, or every 2.7 pCI/L, you are increasing lung cancer risk to 16%. According to the World Health Organization, the generally accepted action level is 100 Bq/m3, or 2.7 pCi/L. If your home has high radon levels, it is advised to take remedial action to reduce the radon levels. WHO also suggests an upper limit that should not be exceeded at 300 Bq/m3 or eight pCi/L.

How Do You Decrease Radon Levels?

Suppose you have tested your home for radon and you found out that there are high radon levels; here are the things you can do:

  • Consider sealing the cracks and other openings in the foundation. This is one of the basic approaches you can do for radon reduction. Doing so limits the flow of radon into your home. By sealing the cracks and openings, other radon reduction techniques become more effective.
  • Get a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV). This is also called an air-to-air heat exchanger, which you can install to increase ventilation. Doing so reduces the radon levels in your home.
  • Perform house or room pressurization. This radon reduction technique uses a fan to blow air into the basement. It can also be done in the living area from either upstairs or outdoors. With this technique, you are creating enough pressure at the lowest level indoors.

Measuring radon levels is one of the critical steps to prevent anyone from having cancer caused by radioactive gas. Since radon is the second leading cause of cancer, making a radon-resistant home is a must. There are different ways to lower the radon levels at home, school, or office. You may call the nearest certified radon contractor in your area if you need to apply some radon reduction techniques in your establishments. It would be better to target zero radon levels but if your home has high radon levels, what matters most is to reduce them step by step.

How to Protect Your Family From Radon

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As parents, the love for your family is incomparable, no matter how hard the situation gets. That’s why you do everything to protect your loved ones, most especially your children. But sometimes, it is not a person that can hurt them. Little do some parents know that there is an invisible enemy that families face every day, and that is radon. This radioactive gas cannot be seen and touched. You can’t even smell or taste it, making this enemy hard to find. What makes radon an enemy is it can cause cancer, and according to the World Health Organization, it is the second to the leading cause of the deadly disease. If you want to protect your family from radon, learning some tips to decrease radon levels at home is crucial.

4 Radon Reduction Tips

Consider the following steps to protect your family from radon:

  1. If you are newlywed, or your family decides to move to a new city, there’s a high chance that you will buy a new home. Whether you are purchasing a new house or selling your home, the United States Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you test it for radon. This way, you can identify the radon levels and assess whether your home has high radon levels or not. Once you know the level, you can plan on the next steps to lower it.
  2. When buying a new one, ask the relator if it is already tested for radon. If not, follow the first tip. You may also ask what radon-resistant construction features have been used.
  3. Once the radon test result has arrived, and the radon level is four picocuries per liter, or pCi/L, or higher, make sure to ask your contractor to apply radon-resistant features to your home. Doing this may require you to spend money, but it is one way to protect your family from radon. It would be better to have radon-resistant homes because radon levels less than four pCi/L still pose a risk.
  4. It would be best to discourage any member of your family from smoking because it significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon. If it can not be avoided, make sure not to smoke indoors to prevent secondhand smoking’s adverse effects.
  5. Make sure to open the windows and use the fans and vents to improve air ventilation. Though natural ventilation is a temporary strategy, it can still help in radon reduction.

The existence of radon may seem inevitable, but you can prevent its level from increasing. By following the tips above and applying the precautionary measure, you can prevent yourself and your family from inhaling this cancer-causing gas. Not only can you keep yourself away from this radioactive gas, but you can also protect your family from radon. Besides your home, make sure that where you work or where your children study is also safe. You may address the issues once you find out that your place or your children’s school has high radon levels. Remember, cancer is a deadly disease, and you can reduce your risks by lowering the radon levels in the places where you and your family stay most of the time.

Radon at Home: What You Need To Know

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According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, radon causes thousands of lung cancer every year. This is possible because this cancer-causing gas is very evident in the country. You can find it at home, school, workplace, and even in the places you don’t expect this gas to be. Although many people are aware of radon’s adverse effects, some of them overlook the precautionary measures they need to take. In this article, you’ll know more about how radon enters your home, how you can test if this gas is present, and what radon levels are tolerable.

How Radon Enters Your Home

Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium, which you can find in all soils. This gas moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home, passing through cracks and holes in the foundation. If your home traps radon inside, this cancer-causing gas can build up. Therefore, any home is susceptible to radon, including new and old houses. Even if your home is well-sealed and drafty, you cannot guarantee that it is safe from harmful gas. That’s why you should get a radon test is critical because it is the only method you can use to determine whether it is present or not.

Radon Testing: Know If Radon Is Present In Your Home

Short-term Testing

There are several ways to perform radon testing, and the quickest way to do it is to conduct short-term tests. When conducting short-term testing, it should remain in your home for two days to 90 days, depending on the device you will use. You may use the following for short-term testing:

  • Alpha track
  • Charcoal canisters
  • Charcoal liquid scintillation
  • Continuous monitors
  • Electret ion chamber

Radon levels may vary from day to day and season to season; that’s why a short-term test is not advisable if you want to determine year-round average radon level. But it could be ideal if you need the results quickly.

Long-term Testing

Long-term tests should remain in your home for more than 90 days. You may use the alpha track and electret detectors to conduct year-long testing. This test will give you a reading that is more likely to tell your home’s year-round average radon level.

Acceptable Radon Levels

The acceptable radon levels at home, school, office, or anywhere is 0. It is essential to make sure that your environment is radon-free to reduce the risks of getting cancer and other respiratory diseases. But if your place has high radon levels, you can start little by little until you can completely eradicate this radioactive gas. If you want to eliminate radon, it is crucial, to begin with radon testing. You may call a radon contractor or do the radon testing yourself. 

If you find hiring a radon contractor expensive, you may use DIY radon test kits to determine your place’s radon levels. According to the EPA, you need to fix your home if your radon level is four picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher. And even if the radon level is less than four pCi/L, it may still pose a risk. Therefore, you need to make sure that the radon levels will be reduced and make it as zero as possible.

Radon is very dangerous, and even if you are not familiar with what it can do, it is still crucial to eliminate this at home. Since it could be present anywhere, radon testing is essential to determine the radon levels in your place. 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or higher is dangerous enough to cause cancer since you could be breathing the gas if you do not take necessary actions. But you don’t need to wait for this radon level. As long as you find that the gas present, make sure to eradicate it as soon as possible.

Radon Test Kits: Short-Term vs Long-Term

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Radon is prevalent in all American states. Since this radioactive gas can cause cancer, health sectors are doing their best to spread awareness about the cancer-causing gas. However, being aware of what radon can do is not enough to avoid health risks. As someone who wants to avoid radon’s adverse effects, it is essential that you also do your part, and that is to decrease radon levels in your home, school, or office. Therefore, you need radon test kits that will help you assess whether the radon is present in your area. It will also help you identify whether the radon level is tolerable or not.

What Are Radon Test Kits Used For?

Radon test kits are helpful tools because they can determine the radon levels in the areas you will be using them. Unlike hiring a radon expert to assess the radon levels, using radon test kits is less expensive. If you are looking for an inexpensive way of determining the radon levels at your home, school, or office, you may consider buying radon test kits. However, there are many choices to choose from. Not only that, but there are also so-called short-term and long-term radon test kits.

Short-Term vs Long-Term Radon Test Kits

There are two types of radon tests that you can do, which are short-term and long-term radon tests. A short-term radon test is performed to measure radon levels within 2-7 days. It is done to screen a home for radioactive gas. Short-term radon tests are conducted if you want to test a radon property, and you are planning to decrease the radon levels. On the other hand, the long-term test can measure radon levels for a minimum of 90 days. This type of test is ideal if you want to estimate radon’s annual average in your home. It would be best to perform the long-term radon test in both heating and non-heating seasons.

DIY Radon Test

If you are looking for a more inexpensive way of testing your home, school, or office for radon, then you may consider using DIY radon test kits. However, you should remember that the accuracy of a DIY radon test is always uncertain. Meaning, you cannot only depend on this kind of test. DIY radon test kits are only used if you want to determine the presence of the radioactive gas. 

You can make a DIY radon test kit by using either charcoal or alpha track. Charcoal tests can absorb the radon in the air but only for a specified amount of time. Once it is brought to the lab, the charcoal’s radioactive particles will be counted or converted to light, providing a radon level readout. On the other hand, alpha track tests use a plastic film etched by the alpha particles that strike it. Once brought to the lab, the tracks are counted, providing the radon level.

DIY Radon Test Kits: How to Make One

Remember that instructions for DIY radon test kits can be the same or could be similar to every other test. If you want to create DIY test kits, you may follow the instructions below:

  1. For 12 hours, make sure to keep all doors and windows closed before and during the test.
  2. Place the testing device at the lowest level of living and not the lowest level. This is because you need to know the level of radon you’re breathing daily. Therefore, make sure to test your crawlspace to avoid inaccurate results.
  3. Make sure to leave the test undisturbed for 48 to 96 hours, depending on the duration listed in the instructions for the test you bought.
  4. Send the device to the lab once the test is done. They will send the results back to you promptly.

Radon is a harmful radioactive gas. Since it poses health risks, everyone living in areas where radon is prevalent must take precautionary measures to avoid its adverse effects. Identifying radon’s presence and its level is one step before you can plan how to decrease the radon levels and achieve a radon-free environment. You may ask for radon experts or use radon test kits to determine your domestic and commercial properties’ radon level.

Things to Consider When Looking for A Radon Contractor

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Radon is everywhere, even in places where you don’t expect it to be. The worst thing is you can also find it at home, at the site where you think you are safe. Radon can also be found at school and in the workplace, that’s why you need to perform preventive measures to make your place radon-free. If you have tested your home, school, or office for radon and the result tells you that it is present, you need a radon contractor who can help you eliminate this cancer-causing gas.

What Does A Radon Contractor Do?

Radon is a harmful gas, but some people deal with it on their own because they find hiring a radon contractor expensive. There are DIY radon test kits that you can use to conduct radon testing. Not only that, but there are also ways on how you can eliminate the cancer-causing gas. However, if you are a beginner or someone who is not used to doing these things, it would be best to hire a radon contractor. But what does a radon contractor do?

Radon contractors are knowledgeable when it comes to radon. They have a thorough understanding of radon testing and the different ways on how to get rid of it. They are trained for radon mitigation, making every home, school, or work environment radon-free. They can also advise on how to decrease the radon levels in your place using different radon mitigation techniques. Radon contractors may do the following:

  • Travel to various residential/commercial sites where they can perform residential/commercial radon testing according to established methods
  • Conduct additional testing, including aquatic testing in homes with private water systems
  • Present and explain radon test results to homeowners and clients
  • Identify, recommend, and explain the possible mitigation methods, equipment, and installations
  • Estimate costs related to recommended installation and operation
  • Install equipment
  • Conducts follow-up testing after installation

What to Look for When Hiring A Radon Contractor

Are you considering hiring a radon contractor? Try to answer the following questions to know the factors you need to think about when hiring a radon specialist:

Are you hiring a licensed radon contractor?

Radon testing and radon mitigation are not easy tasks because they pose health risks. That’s why you need professionals to do them. Although there are no national licenses given to radon contractors, some states provide this to ensure clients that what they are hiring is knowledgeable and skillful. That’s why when hiring a radon contractor, ask if he has a license or ask the State Radon Office to find out if there is a State-specific radon contractor’s license. Hire someone certified either by the National Environmental Health Association’s Radon Proficiency Program or by the National Radon Safety Board’s Certification Program.

Is your licensed radon contractor insured?

As mentioned, dealing with radon is risky because it can cause cancer. It would be best to hire a radon professional with a contractor’s insurance certificate to ensure that the person has proper coverage. Don’t forget to check if the insurance is up to date.

Did the radon contractor give you a firm price?

You must agree to a firm price or written proposal before hiring a radon contractor. An ideal radon contractor provides a detailed scope of work and a contract before starting work. So make sure not to pay money upfront without a signed contract.

Is your radon contractor trustworthy?

If you are hiring a radon contractor from an agency, make sure to check their reviews if they have a website. You may also search for their past clients and ask the contractor’s cleanliness, quality, punctuality, and overall satisfaction.

Does the radon contractor guarantee your desired results?

An ideal and high-quality radon mitigation contractor should install the radon remediation system to ensure that radon levels will be lessened. If a contractor refuses to provide a performance warrant, that could indicate a lack of quality and inexperience.

Radon is a dangerous gas, and what makes it more harmful is you cannot see, smell, or touch it. Therefore, you need an expert when it comes to testing radon and getting rid of it. You may need a radon contractor who is trained to solve any radon problem. But you must be serious when hiring a radon specialist because it could be a life and death situation. Remember, high radon levels could lead to cancer and other respiratory diseases, that’s why to make sure to hire the best radon contractor.

13 Radon Mitigation Techniques

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Radon is literally everywhere. You can find it at home and in the workplace. The worst part is that radon is also found at schools. This alarms parents and teachers because they can affect the children who are more vulnerable to diseases. Although there are several methods in getting rid of radon, it is indeed challenging to fight something that people cannot see. Remember that radon is a cancer-causing gas that cannot be seen, smelled, or touched. And the only way to determine whether this radioactive gas is present is through radon testing.

Radon Testing vs. Radon Mitigation

If you are dealing with radon, you might have encountered terms like testing and mitigation. Although they might look similar in definitions, these terms are different. Radon testing refers to the process of testing an area whether it has radon or not. Radon test kits and radon detectors are used to determine if the radioactive gas is present in your home, school, or workplace. The price of each radon test kit and radon detector varies considering the brand and quality.

On the other hand, radon mitigation refers to any process of removing the concentrated radon levels in domestic and commercial properties. Since radon is a dense gas, it can enter your home, classrooms, and offices without you knowing it. The worst part is this gas can collect in large quantities over time. Therefore, homeowners, school authorities, and employers need to choose any effective radon mitigation techniques to ensure that every home, school, and workplace is radon-free.

13 Radon Mitigation Techniques

To make every home, classroom, or office radon-free, radon testing is necessary. This process will determine whether the radon level in the area is acceptable or not. Even if the radon level is low, it would be better to aim for a radon-free environment. Besides, you can perform several radon mitigation techniques, including the following:

  1. Block wall suction – 50 to 99 percent
  2. Drain tile suction – 50 to 99 percent
  3. Heat recovery ventilation – N/A
  4. Home pressurization – 50 to 99 percent
  5. Natural ventilation – N/A
  6. Natural ventilation (crawlspace) – 0 to 50 percent
  7. Passive sub-slab suction – 30 to 70 percent
  8. Private well water aeration – 95 to 99 percent
  9. Private well water granular carbon (GAC) – 85 to 99 percent
  10. Seal radon entry locations – N/A
  11. Submembrane depressurization (crawlspace) – 50 to 99 percent
  12. Sub-slab suction – 50 to 99 percent
  13. Sump hole suction – 50 to 99 percent

You can talk to the radon experts so that they can tell you which of the listed mitigation techniques will work best on your domestic or commercial property. The best strategy in radon reduction is something that works best for long-term mitigation goals. Choosing the right mitigation technique can help you save more money.

Radon Mitigation: DIY vs. Radon Professional

When it comes to the radon mitigation techniques discussed earlier, you could be wondering whether to do them yourself or hire a certified radon professional. The truth is you can choose any of them and perform DIY mitigation. Many companies out there sell DIY radon mitigation kits, allowing you to use them without the need to hire a licensed radon contractor.

However, if you want to ensure that the radon mitigation technique you have chosen will work best, you may consider hiring certified radon mitigation professional. This is because radon professionals are experts when it comes to reducing radon levels. No matter which technique you want to do for your domestic or commercial property, they can assist you with installing equipment or materials that will make your rooms radon-free.

Identifying your home, school, or office’s radon level is the first step in achieving a radon-free environment. Therefore, you need to conduct accurate radon testing so that you can choose which radon mitigation technique to use. No matter what strategy you pick, what matters most is to reduce the radon level and, better, make the area radon-free.

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Radon in the Workplace: Everything You Should Know

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Last time, you’ve learned that radon can be present anywhere, including homes and schools. But aside from these places, there could also be radon in the workplace. No matter how aesthetically pleasing a building is, you’ll never know you are safe from the cancer-causing gas without conducting a radon test. In this article, you’ll learn everything you should know about radon exposures in the workplace – what to do if there are high radon levels, and safety precautions you can apply to minimize the risks of radon exposures.

Radon in the Workplace: An Alarming Issue

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It can be present even indoors, such as in homes, schools, and workplaces. Knowing that radon levels are higher indoors than outdoors poses health risks to human lives. Based on WHO research, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer. What’s worse is that people who smoke are more vulnerable to lung cancer when exposed to radon. 

WHO stated that the lower the radon level is in homes, the lower the risk of getting lung cancer. This is also applicable to workplaces. Therefore, https://radonresources.com/what-is-radon/ business owners and employees should aim to have a radon-free work environment. Doing so guarantees a cleaner and safer workplace, minimizing the health risks of radon exposure. Since radon concentrations are higher indoors, business owners and employees should impose strategies on how to lower radon levels and, if possible, make every workplace radon-free.

Reducing the Risks From Radon Exposure in the Workplace

Business owners and employees can be safe in the workplace by implementing regulations about radon. Several things can help in minimizing the health risks from radon in the workplace. Take a look at the tips below:

Be informed.

Provide the employees all information regarding radon levels in the workplace and their associated health risks. This way, everyone will be aware of the risk and perform safety precautions to minimize the adverse effects.

Create a radon program.

Implement a radon program that aims to reduce the individual’s risks to high radon concentrations. Every company should prioritize the safety of its employees.

Survey the workplace.

If you are a business owner planning to build a company, you need to have a physical survey of the location. This is applicable whether you are having a building from scratch or renting a workspace. Survey the workplace as well as the materials and equipment to be used. Determine the radon level and see if they pose health risks or not. If possible, try to make the work environment radon-free.

Conduct radon testing.

Develop radon measurement protocols that will help in keeping the quality and consistency of radon testing. Companies should prepare radon test kits that will be used in identifying the radon levels. Authorities can compare radon test kits and see which of them works the best. It would be best to use the same test kits because using different ones might affect the results.

Improve the ventilation system.

Radon levels vary from workplace to workplace. But no matter what the radon level is, it is essential to keep it as low and safe as possible. One thing that you can do to lower radon levels is by improving the ventilation system. This can be done by ventilating the crawlspace passively or actively, with the use of a fan.

Radon in the workplace is somehow prevalent not only in the United States but also in other countries. It is inevitable since radon is present anywhere. However, there are certain things that you can do to avoid its adverse effects. Considering the tips mentioned above can help you lower your chances of being exposed to the cancer-causing gas. Radon in the workplace can be prevented; that’s why business owners and employees should work hand in hand to create a safer and radon-free work environment.