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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
