Estherville Rotarians Thursday heard about something very common but that's not discussed very much - the presence of radon everywhere in our environment.
Mary Moorman of Emmet County Public Health said radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that's invisible. While you can't smell or taste it, it's all over the U.S.
Nearly all of Iowa has radon to some extent since radon was left when glaciers deposited uranium-bearing rocks from Canada in previous ice ages.
All homes can have radon problems. In fact one home out of every 15 in the country has an elevated radon level.
Radon levels vary widely. Just because your neighbor has a high radon rating that doesn't mean you do.
Radon gets into homes through cracks, gaps and the water supply. There are a variety of short- and long-term testing methods. Emmet County Public Health has radon test kits for just $5 that can tell you whether radon levels are high enough to warrant a long-term test.
The average indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. Levels of 4 pCi/L are considered elevated and should be reduced.
Radon in water can be fixed at the point of use or point of entry. More information is available at www.epa.gov/safewater/radon.html.
To lower radon in your home, you can use a vent pipe system and fan which pulls radon form under the house and vents it to the outside. You can also seal foundation cracks and other openings. For more information on abatement, go to www.epa.gov/radon/pubs.
If you're selling your home and have tested for radon, review the Radon Testing Checklist to make sure it was done correctly and give the test results to the buyer. The buyer may ask for a new test if checklist items were not met, the last test was not recent, you have renovated or altered your home since you tested and the buyer plans to use a lower level of the home than was tested. If you've never tested your home for radon, test as soon as possible at the lowest livable area.
If you're buying a home, check to see if it's been tested for radon and ask for the results of the previous test. Find out who did the test, where it was conducted and whether there have been major renovations - like an addition or expansion of the basement, for example - since the testing was done.
If you're building a new home, be sure you use radon-resistant features like a gas-permeable layer, plastic sheeting, sealing and caulking, vent pipe and junction boxes.
You can get reliable radon test results by using reliable rating devices and qualified labs and testing procedures.
Following are some radon myths:
n Scientists are not sure that radon really is a problem.
n Radon testing devices are not reliable and are difficult to find.
n Radon testing is difficult and time-consuming.
n Homes with radon problems cannot be fixed.
n Radon only affects certain types of homes.
n Radon is only a problem in certain parts of the country.
n A neighbor's test result is a good indication of whether your home has a radon problem.
n Everyone should test their water for radon. Actually, it's important to first test the air in the home for radon. if your water comes from a public water system that uses ground water, call your water supplier. If high radon levels are found and the home has a private well, call the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 for information on testing your water.
n It is difficult to sell a home where radon problems have been discovered. Actually, when radon problem have been abated, the added protection will be a good selling point.
n I have lived in my home for so long, it does not make sense to take action now. You will actually reduce your risk of lung cancer when you reduce radon levels, even if you have lived with an elevated radon level for a long time.
n Short-term tests cannot be used for making a decision about whether to reduce the home's high radon levels. Short-term tests can help you decide whether to reduce the home's high radon levels.
The combination of high radon levels and cigarette smoking can be particularly hazardous. You need to stop smoking and abate radon in your home.