Here in the United States, radon levels can be quite high in homes all throughout the country. In fact, up to one home out of every 15 homes in this country has radon levels that are either at the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) action level or even considerably above it. In certain parts of the country, such as on Native American reservations, things are much worse, and as many as one third of all homes have high radon levels.
Unfortunately, however, many people don’t even know whether or not radon poses a threat in their own homes. This can be attributed to the fact that radon is very difficult to detect with the naked eye and it also cannot be smelled or tasted either. Unless a professional radon test has been conducted in the residence in question, it is likely that the average person does not know the radon levels of their home – if they even know what radon levels are at all, which many people do not.
In many of the homes where radon is present at the action level set by the EPA or above it, sump pump installation has recently been conducted – or else a sump pump excavation. This can be attributed to the fact that sump pumps can serve as an entry point for radon, and events like sump pump excavation and sump pump installation can bring a good deal more radon into the air. Sump pump excavation, however, can help to lower radon levels in the long run. In some homes, sump pump excavation might raise radon levels temporarily, but this process of sump pump excavation without the installation of a new sump pump is also likely to bring them back down over the course of time.
But even knowing about sump pumps and radon and the possibility of sump pump excavation, it is also hugely important for people to really know why radon is even dangerous in the first place, especially if it cannot be easily detected by the average human. Unfortunately, radon gas is very dangerous indeed and is actually one of the leading causes of lung cancer here in the United States, second behind smoking alone. In fact, as many as 20,000 people will die from radon related lung cancer over the course of just one year in this country alone.
So while it is clear that radon is certainly to be taken seriously, it’s important not to panic about the potential of radon in your own home. If you have not had radon testing performed in your home, hiring residential radon testing services can be the first step towards figuring out your risk. Fortunately, residential radon testing companies are everywhere throughout the United States, and there is more likely than not going to be one near you.
When you hire a radon testing company, they will first determine what type of radon test they will run in your home. This is because there are two types of radon tests that are typically used: the short term radon test and the long term one. Short term tests can be used to detect radon levels for up to 90 days, and long term tests will be used for any period of detection after that time. In some cases, both types of radon detectors are likely to be used.
And if radon is detected to be at dangerous levels in your home, there are steps you can take to lower your risk of radon exposure considerably, even if not eliminating it entirely. For instance, you can install a radon fan by your sump pump, and this will hopefully dispel any of the radon that the sump pump introduces. Of course, sump pump excavation is another solution, though there is certainly no doubt about the fact that sump pump excavation is quite a bit more dramatic than other methods of radon mitigation – and likely not the first solution that will be pursued.
At the end of the day, understanding the many dangers of radon gas is hugely important, but panicking is not necessary. Not only can radon levels be accurately tested, but they can also be quite considerably lowered as well.