What is Radon?
I get this question pretty frequently from my clients buying Colorado Springs real estate (whether they are native Coloradans or new to town). No matter where you decide to call home, there are going to be certain “things” to be aware of…for Colorado Springs, radon is one of them. Radon is not something to fear. All homes here have radon gas present. In fact, the EPA calls radon “ubiquitous”. The real question is whether or not the current level is acceptable or if it should be mitigated.
Let’s start with the basics. Radon gas occurs from the natural decay of uranium in soil and water. The gas is odorless, tasteless and invisible. As the breakdown of uranium occurs, the resulting radon gas travels upward through cracks and holes in cement foundations. When the gas comes into a house in this manner, it often gets trapped in the basement. It’s not unusual to find higher concentrations of radon in the lower levels of a house. This is why it might be a good idea to have a radon test as a part of your normal home inspection if you plan to spend a considerable amount of time in the basement (i.e; if there are bedrooms in the basement).
What is the risk? Through previous studies, the EPA has come to the determination that radon is a carcinogen. The EPA suggests mitigation if radon levels exceeds 2 to 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in indoor air. They say that the potential health risks are present for people whether they are smokers or not. In fact, two recent studies show “definitive evidence of an association between residential radon exposure and lung cancer”. The EPA lists radon as the second leading cause of cancer (after smoking).
So, what if the radon levels are higher than you are comfortable with? It may be a good idea to have an experienced professional install a radon mitigation system. The systems vary in design, implementation, and cost. Basically, whatever system you decide to utilize, there will be a fan that creates a negative pressure to draw radon gas out so that it is vented to the outside of the home. I’ll admit that this is a gross oversimplification for the systems. If you’d like to know more, try contacting a local radon mitigation company to ask about their product offerings. Please keep in mind that I’m not a radon expert. If you’d like to learn more, take a look at the EPA’s radon website. There you can find some interesting charts for risk calculation and more detailed commentary about previous radon studies.
