Our mission is to ensure that people around the world take control of their air quality through simple, affordable and accurate technology solutions – making radon and air quality monitors as common as smoke detectors. Education efforts to raise awareness of the dangers of radon and other harmful indoor air pollutants, Carbon Dioxide and Volatile Organic Compounds, play a significant role in allowing us to further our mission. This is why we partnered with the American Lung Association last year and pledged to donate $1 for every Corentium Home and Airthings Wave sold on Airthings.com. The donations go directly to the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative to fund lung cancer research.

We started this partnership October 1, 2017 and are happy to say we will donate at least $25,000 by the end of it. For the first quarter, we have already donated $6,250!

LUNG FORCE initiative

Every five minutes a woman in the U.S. learns she has lung cancer and in the last 30 years the number of women dying from it each year has nearly doubled. Radon gas is a leading cause of lung cancer and can affect anyone. It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, killing 58 people per day in the United States alone. Education is key in our fight against this invisible threat. The American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE aims to unite and mobilize women against lung cancer.

We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, measuring Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is one of the most important steps we can take in preventing illness and increasing productivity, energy and good health. However, in order to care about IAQ you have to understand which gases are making your indoor air unhealthy and their effects on people – especially in an enclosed space like a home or office, where the gases accumulate and pollute our fresh air.

• Radon is an invisible, radioactive gas formed in the Earth’s crust
• It surrounds every one of us as part of the air we breathe
• It can enter a home or workplace through cracks in the foundations and other openings, for example around the hot water tank and pipes
• Due to radon’s fluctuating nature, long term, daily monitoring is necessary

We believe that Radon and Indoor Air Quality should be continuously monitored in every home and building where people spend their time. Our partnership with the ALA is an extension of our commitment to helping people breathe better and live better, which is why for every Corentium Home and Airthings Wave sold on Airthings.com through September 30, 2018, Airthings will donate $1 to the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative to fund lung cancer research*. It’s truly rewarding to be recognized as a partner and supporter among other major corporations that are also dedicated to the fight against lung cancer. We are excited to announce our first donation of $6,250 to the American Lung Association, and we’ll continue to make donations through September 2018.

_{*Airthings will donate $1 from each Corentium Home and Airthings Wave sold on Amazon.com from January 31, 2018 and on Airthings.com through September 30, 2018, with a minimum donation of $25,000 to the American Lung Association’s LUNG FORCE initiative to support lung cancer research. For more information visit lung.org/airthings.}

The post Airthings supports ALA partnership in fight against lung cancer appeared first on Airthings.

The EU and WHO have announced a new basic safety standards directive within the EU, asking for each country to come up with a set of rules regarding radon. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer for those who breathe it for long periods of time.

New Directive

• The directive should be adopted by all Member States by 6 February 2018
• It requests the monitoring of radon levels in homes, public spaces, and workplaces
• A national action plan is needed to address long-term risks of exposure

How does it affect you?

Homeowners

• Radon concentration in dwellings (homes and residential areas) should be monitored
• Concentration level for indoor radon exposure cannot exceed 300 Bq/m3
• Homeowners and landlords need to properly assess the risk of radon exposure in the home

Public

• Radon concentration should be monitored in buildings with public access
• Places such as libraries, gyms, shopping malls, and hospitals need to be measured for radon
• The goal is to protect the health and safety of the general public

Employers

• Radon exposure in workplaces should not exceed 300 Bq/m3
• Employers need to ensure that the radon levels in the workplace do not exceed the legal limits
• Places such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and offices need to be measured

Just because these directives are coming into play, doesn’t mean you will see changes right away. You are your own best advocate: speak to your employer, the leader at your child’s kindergarten, the manager at your gym—anywhere that you or your family members spend a prolonged amount of time indoors, should be checked for radon. To learn more about your own radon levels, check out Airthings’ guide to responding to radon.

The basics of the Basic Safety Standards Directive

Starting February 2018, a set of new regulations will come into play in the European Union called the Basic Safety Standards Directive. The overall goal of the regulation is to protect the public from radon by ensuring that indoor radon concentrations are below 300 Bq/m3. Each country will provide their own set of regulations which will affect everyone including facility managers, employers, homeowners and the general public.

In short, individuals and businesses will need to regularly monitor their radon levels in dwellings, public spaces, and workplaces in order to follow the new regulations and minimize long-term health risks.

What is the plan?

Since the European Commission recognizes that there is an increased risk of lung cancer from long-term exposure to any indoor radon levels over 100 Bq/m3, individual national action plans are required. These action plans are necessary to address the long-term health risks of radon exposure.

The plan requires each individual country to ensure good building practices to prevent radon from entering buildings. EU countries may need to implement national building codes to ensure that future building projects will provide effective protection against radon. Countries will also need to consider remedial action of radon, post-construction.

Secondly, the plan requires the Member States to identify specific areas where radon concentration is expected to exceed the national reference levels. The plan suggests surveying indoor radon concentration in homes, public spaces and workplaces to estimate the distribution of radon levels and create a reference level of exposure. Long-term radon measurement instruments are needed in order to map and assess risk in different areas.

Thirdly, the action plan should consider how to deal with radon mitigation once measurement and risk assessment has been completed. It suggests that the individual nations should create guidance for methods of measurement and mitigation of radon. Furthermore, they could consider a plan of financial support for homes with very high radon concentrations.

Lastly, the plan aims to increase public awareness of the risks of radon, methods and tools for measurements and remedial measures. For instance, it is recommended that the EU countries create a strategy for communicating the risks of radon to “increase public awareness and inform local decision makers, employers, and employees”.

Summary of responsibilities

1. Ensure good building practices as well as remediation plans, post construction
2. Specify distribution of radon across the country with surveying of radon
3. Create guidance for radon mitigation and measurement
4. Consider financial support, particularly for individual homeowners
5. Increase public awareness of the risks, tools for measurement, and remedial measures of radon.

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring, colorless and odorless gas that comes from the ground. It stems from the decay of uranium which naturally occurs in the Earth’s crust. It is found everywhere: beneath our homes, schools, and workplaces. Since we spend 90% of our time indoors, this means that we are exposed to radon in the places we spend the most time.

How did this all come about?

In 2013, the European Commission appointed the Scientific and Technical Committee to research the dangers of ionizing radiation such as radon decay. The European Commission, with the information from the Committee, created a set of uniform standards to deal with the issue of ionizing radiation. This forms the base of the EURATOM Basic Safety Standards (BSS) Directive and will be applied to all European Union (EU) Member States. The changes will take place in early 2018 as all Member States will have to comply with the Basic Safety Standards Directive by the 6th of February 2018.

Conclusion: importance of radon measurement devices

As seen from the new Basic Safety Standards Directive, radon will continue to be an important topic in health and safety, building management and employer responsibility moving forward. In the coming year it will be extremely important to measure radon levels. We believe the first step to address the problem with radon exposure is to make the invisible gas, visible.

By using digital radon detection devices such as the Airthings Wave, you gain full visibility of your short- and long-term levels in an easy to understand app or dashboard. With the Wave, there is no need to send to a lab, and there are never any additional labs fees. Radon measurement instruments will continue to play an important part of helping the European Commission to accomplish its objectives of addressing the health risks of long-term radon exposure.

Airthings has also developed a complete system to manage radon levels for both individuals and facility managers alike. The Airthings Ecosystem which includes the Wave Plus and the Hub will cover all needs of the new directive. One can create a system of Wave Plus’ to cover a large area and view results on the Airthings dashboard or through our apps. Employers will be able to cover entire offices, rental agencies can cover entire apartment buildings and complexes, and public leaders can cover large public spaces. With the addition of the Hub, you gain remote access to all of your airthings devices.

Want to read even more about the radon directive?

Radon is directly addressed in the Basic Safety Standards Directive in Article 54 concerning workplace radon levels, in Article 74 concerning indoor radon levels, and in Article 103 for the national action plan. If you want more of a detailed explanation of the plan, check out the summary made by Airthings. And don’t forget to share information about the radon directive, with this handy infographic.

The post Basic Safety Standards Directive – How Does It Affect You? appeared first on Airthings.

Yet in a puzzling story last week, Wired suggested that eliminating the EPA’s radon programs would somehow decrease the risk of lung cancer. It is difficult to connect the dots as to how the story arrived at this conclusion. The convoluted reasoning in the piece is as follows.

1. The globally accepted “action level” of radon — the point at which homeowners should take action to reduce the long-term effects of radon exposure — is too low.
2. Some studies have found that low levels of radiation may have beneficial health effects.
3. Therefore, the EPA radon program should be eliminated because its “overprotective” action levels are somehow causing lung cancer.

The Wired piece does not define the health risks

Before delving into the issues with this logic, it should be noted that the Wired piece does not even define the fundamental health risk associated with radon exposure. It is essential to any story involving radon, and Wired completely skips the basics.

The danger of radon exposure is not the level at any given time. It is long-term exposure to radon gas. In other words, the 4 pCi/l (picocuries per liter) “action level” measurement does not represent an immediate cancer risk, nor is it intended to.

Instead, a measurement of 4 pCi/l indoors means that radon levels are elevated beyond what is considered normal. If those readings are in your home and not dealt with properly, they can accumulate to truly dangerous levels.

Think of smoke in your home. If you see it billowing from your oven, it doesn’t mean the house is on fire, nor does it mean your health will be at risk if you inhale a bit of that smoke. Instead, it is a red flag and an indication that you should check and remediate the situation. Now, think of a smoke detector in your home. When it goes off, it also doesn’t mean your house is on fire or that you are about to die. It means that there is a serious situation you should be aware of. The Wired story seems to confuse “action levels” of radon gas with the immediate onset of lung cancer.

But here is why radon exposure is even more dangerous in your home than smoke, both in terms of the number of annual deaths and the personal experience. If your house is full of smoke, you can see it, smell it, and know when to leave or take action. Radon is invisible to all the senses. There is no instinctual warning sign for human beings.

That makes measurement guidelines, test kits, and informed mitigation the only lines of defense. The European Union seems to recognize this, as it has required mandatory radon monitoring for all public buildings beginning in February 2018. And the US Surgeon General and EPA recommend that all American homes be tested for radon levels during the sales process.

Long-term and short-term exposure are not comparable

The Wired story does make some fair points, although they are pieced together in a confusing and contradictory narrative. First, the author points out that there is no accepted safe level of radon. He contends that this is because the 4 pCi/l action level is based on a flawed linear no-threshold model. The EPA itself has acknowledged this fact.

The author initially suggests that the 4 pCi/l benchmark might be too high, that it was decided upon by the EPA purely to save money. Any radon level lower than that would be far more costly to detect and mitigate, he contends.

But then, the author says that these same action levels are too low, citing studies that claim low-dosage radiation may have beneficial health effects. The article does not explain this in depth, but pins its entire argument on it. This “low-dosage radiation” likely refers to controlled, short-term exposure to radiation in a lab or medical facility, such as radiation therapy or X-ray machines. Those aren’t the same things as unknown, uncontrollable, and fluctuating levels of radon gas accumulating in your home.

What is more, the author notes that the evidence for low-dosage radiation being beneficial to health is “pretty shaky.” But that doesn’t stop him from concluding the piece with a quote from Dr. Mohan Doss, who states that nixing the EPA radon program would somehow reduce incidences of lung cancer.

Again, it is hard to parse the convoluted journey to the story’s destination. It never shows a rudimentary understanding of what makes unchecked radon accumulation – not acute levels of radon presence – a serious health hazard that claims tens of thousands of lives each year.

Hypocritical at best and irresponsible at worst

The piece points to flaws in the way radon action levels are determined. Then the story claims those action levels are arbitrary and inflated, based primarily on the EPA being able to save money. Simultaneously, the story argues that these action levels are too low and “overprotective,” and that this is a reason for the EPA’s radon program to be shut down. Finally, it points to undefined and “pretty shaky” empirical data that claims low levels of radon prevent lung cancer. Seeing as there is no strong evidence to bolster that claim, the conclusion is hypocritical at best and irresponsible at worst.

Sadly, these aren’t the only problems with the overall argument. If the 4 pCi/l action level for radon is flawed, then it certainly should be revised. But if the EPA’s radon program is eliminated, who will support and enforce a reformed approach? And if current action levels are “overprotective,” then what is the “safe level” of radon exposure that Dr. Doss claims has therapeutic effects? Could it possibly fall in the range of 4 pCi/l or lower, making the entire argument moot? Like so many other bits of crucial information, the story leaves this out.

Rather than propose a “scorched Earth” campaign that would eliminate the EPA’s radon-awareness and monitoring programs, this Wired piece should seek out some solid ground for the story’s haphazard and contradictory assortment of claims to stand on.

The post What Wired Gets Dangerously Wrong About Radon appeared first on Airthings.

Radon gas is a naturally-occurring, radioactive gas that damages delicate lung tissue when people breathe contaminated air. Radon is proven to be a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking. The higher the level and the longer the exposure to radon, the greater the risk of disease.

However, the majority of population lacks knowledge about radon, with overwhelming 88% not being aware that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers. 21,000 people in the U.S die annually from radon-induced cancer. Radon-induced lung cancer can be eliminated by testing one’s home for radon and installing a mitigation system in case the radon levels are high.

Underestimating the threats radon gas possesses, most homeowners do not know if radon levels are high in their homes. Tragically, many people have fallen victim of lung cancer, because they hadn’t measured their radon levels and were exposed to elevated radon for years. There are no immediate symptoms that indicate disease, or predict the cumulative effects of exposure. Many lung cancer patients do not discover their illness until in the final stages, where five-year survival rate is 4%. Testing and mitigating is an effective prevention method. We strongly encourage everyone to test their homes and spread the word to prevent future radon-induced lung cancer deaths. When lives of you and the ones you live are at stake, 200$ for a radon detector and 1500$ for mitigation system are nothing compared to the value of life.

Making a difference

Today we would like to share the story of Gloria Linnertz. She lost her husband to radon gas, and had since devoted her life to increasing radon awareness, education, and action to prevent future radon-induced lung cancer deaths.

Gloria’s husband, Joe, had been diagnosed with late-stage lung cancer and died six weeks later. Joe has always been taking care of his health: he exercised, kept a healthy diet, and didn’t smoke. But Joe and Gloria, like millions of others, hadn’t tested their home for radon. It turned out that for 18 years they had been unsuspectingly living with over 4 times the EPA action level of radon.

Gloria is now a Founder and President of The Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction. The organization is dedicated to reducing lung cancer due to radon gas. It takes action to increase radon awareness to make sure less people will learn about radon dangers the hard way.

We encourage you to be proactive and measure radon regardless of the type of home you live in, be it old, new, brick, frame, basement, crawl space or slab on grade. Radon-induced lung cancer can be prevented, and we hope you will share this knowledge with others. Together we can save more lives.

SOURCES

• About radon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
• Gloria Linnertz’s Blog – Radon The Silent Killer: http://radonthesilentkiller.blogspot.no/ 

The post Lives Changed by Radon Gas. The Story of Gloria Linnertz appeared first on Airthings.

ISIAQ’s Norwegian branch – Norsk Innemiljøorganisasjon (NIO, http://www.isiaq.no) – is heavily focused on precautionary action. At a time when authorities are allocating major resources to repair and treatment, the NIO stresses the importance of safeguarding indoor air quality through precautionary action, both in the workplace and at home.

In line with Airthings’ vision, this focus increases the general awareness of the threat posed by radon gas, empowering people and workplaces to easily measure and monitor radon in the indoor environment. Because radon gas is both colorless and odorless, the danger of its presence in buildings often goes unnoticed until health is compromised.

Radon ranks high as a significant cause of lung cancer. New digital technology for radon monitoring in buildings now makes early warning simple and affordable, providing important information that saves lives.

Airthings is looking forward to working closely with NIO and ISIAQ, helping consumers to detect and monitor radon gas in their indoor environments.

The post International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate appeared first on Airthings.

Montgomery County Bill 31-15, if passed, would make radon testing mandatory for homeowners putting their houses up for sale, requiring that test information be disclosed to buyers before they commit to purchase. Currently, sellers are not required to test for radon, however, if the home has been tested in the past, the results must be disclosed.

Radon is a colorless, tasteless gas that occurs naturally in soils, rocks, and underground water. Known to cause cancer, it is estimated that 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated levels of radon gas. Seeping in from underground through foundations, basements, porous construction materials, and pipe, electrical, or utility openings, the gas enters the lowest level of the home, posing a threat to those living in the space.

While present in low levels just about everywhere on the planet, high levels of radon gas contained indoors for long periods of time can cause lung cancer, even in those who have never smoked. An EPA study of miners exposed to radon used test data to arrive at estimates indicating 21,000 deaths are caused annually from exposure to radon.

The bill would require home sellers to purchase a test kit through a state-certified company, and make the test results known to prospective buyers before they commit to a sales contract. If tests indicate, the seller must request a written estimate detailing remediation costs to reduce levels to acceptable levels. The test must be performed within a year of the date of the sales contract.

The bill will help buyers in making their decisions about specific properties, revealing high levels of the gas that need addressing. It does not mandate remediation, nor does it state any penalties for failure to provide test results. It also does not address homes that are not for sale, condominiums, apartments, or cooperative living structures that may be exposing residents to dangerous levels of the gas.

Realtors say they would prefer a bill requiring educational disclosure that leaves the decision about testing and remediation up to the buyer and seller to negotiate in the contract. The bill goes to the City Council for a vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The post Montgomery County Bill May Require Radon Testing appeared first on Airthings.

Health Canada advises that any indoor air environment measuring over 200 Becquerels per cubic metre, Bq/c3, poses an unacceptable risk to those who breathe the contaminated air. The average number of homes across Canada testing above the 200 Bq/m3 level is just 6.9 percent, with Ontario homes averaging 4.6 percent.

Thunder Bay’s McIntyre ward presented numbers of particular concern, finding that 43 percent of homes there contained elevated levels of the dangerous gas. Neebing ward reported 30 percent in the elevated range, Red River ward reported 15 percent, Current River ward reported 13 percent, Northwood ward reported five percent, and McKellar ward reported two percent. Westfort ward reported finding no homes with elevated radon gas levels.

Lee Sieswerda, manager of environmental health at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, expressed surprise at the broad range of percentages, adding that additional study is needed to understand why there is such variation in measurement levels.

Radon is a natural product resulting from the breakdown of uranium in soil, rocks, and water. As radon gas filters up through the soil, escaping to the surface of the earth, it seeps into homes and buildings through foundations, cracks, and openings. If allowed to accumulate in a closed environment, the gas levels become dangerous, posing a health risk to all who breathe the indoor air.

Sieswarda noted that homes built before 1945, before the Second World War, have low levels of radon. He cautioned some homeowners, however, explaining that, « It escalates to much higher levels in homes built between the 1990s and early 2000s. »  Very new homes, Sieswarda advised, have relatively low levels of radon due to built-in systems.

Chief building official with the City of Thunder Bay Desmond Stolz attributes the improvement of new homes to recently implemented Ontario building codes for new structures. Stolz explains, « Right now we are requiring all new houses to have an enhanced radon barrier below the floor slab, which would include a polyurethane sheet which is sealed. We are requiring all penetrations to be sealed that come through the floor and we are also asking for an exhaust pipe to be built below the floor that will all for depressurization of the area if necessary. »

Testing is important, with follow up mitigation costs usually ranging from $500 to $3,000. Fixes can be quite simple and inexpensive, patching holes or cracks. Some homes require the gas to be released from underneath the home and redirected outdoors with a fan. These units are an easy install, requiring less than two days for completion.

To read the original article, go to http://www.chroniclejournal.com/news/local/higher-radon-levels-surprising/article_45d848ce-83dd-11e5-943a-1f6468700dda.html.

The post Officials Surprised by High Radon Levels appeared first on Airthings.

Speaking about his new book, « Cleaner, Greener, Healthier: A Prescription for Stronger Canadian Environmental Laws and Policies, » Boyd addressed topics related to environmental hazards, including exposure to indoor air contaminated by radon. Boyd stated that between 2,000 and 3,000 Canadians die every year of lung cancer caused by breathing air with elevated levels of the toxic gas. Radon gas, a known carcinogen, is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

An adjunct professor in resource and environmental management at Simon Fraser University and environmental activist, Boyd expressed concern for the lack of government attention to pollution in the environment. He further stated that he feels it is the basic constitutional right of every Canadian citizen to expect to live in a healthy environment.

Boyd’s book explores four basic categories: environmental pollution and degradation on respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and birth defects. Basing research on methodology similar to that used by the World Health Organization, Boyd found that between 10,000 and 25,000 deaths each year, and between 80,000 and 200,000 hospital patients are attributed to people with pre-existing respiratory disorders.

Additionally, Boyd advised the audience that about the same number that filled the auditorium at the MTS Centre for his talk, around 16,000 people, would die prematurely in Canada this year as a result of exposure to environmental hazards.

Optimistic and hopeful, Boyd shared insight from his book « Optimistic Environmentalist » about opportunities that exist with solar energy, urging the University of Manitoba to install solar panels on campus buildings. He also suggested that the Canadian government create stronger guidelines to limit environmental damage.

Boyd concluded with the statement that, « The way forward is to recognize that all Canadians have the right to live in a healthy environment and to put forward a national environmental health action plan with swift action that will enable us to catch up with environmental leaders like the European Union. »

To read the complete original article, please go to http://www.themanitoban.com/2015/09/canada-needs-improved-environmental-protections-says-lawyer/24856/.

The post Lawyer Advises Improved Environmental Laws appeared first on Airthings.

Aaron Goodarzi, assistant professor at U of C’s Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute is collecting and mapping data to track the prevalence of excessive radon in homes. As of January 22, 2016, 268 homes have been tested, with the hope of 1,000 homes enrolled for testing by the month’s end, and completion by April. Goodarzi laments the greater recommended levels in Canada, joking that perhaps Health Canada believes Canadians to be more tolerant of the harmful gas.

In reality, Goodarzi knows it is no laughing matter, as one of his group’s partners has discovered levels as high as 4,300 Bq/m3 in British Columbia, and as high as 4,000 in Calgary. Karin Dumais, president of Radon West has been providing test kits to homeowners and helping to coordinate the scientists to provide corresponding data. One of the most dramatic situations, Dumais noted, found concrete poured everywhere in the basement except under the furnace. When in operation, the furnace sucked in air from beneath the foundation. In essence, it created a « radon distribution system » throughout the house.

Odourless, colourless, and tasteless, this sneaky gas has been found in high levels across Canadian prairies, deposited by glaciers. As it seeps through cracks and holes in foundations, walls, floors, drains, and sumps, it accumulates inside the house, especially during the cold winter months when doors and windows are shut tightly, creating a vacuum effect with minimal air circulation.

Dumais, who built an energy efficient home south of Okotoks was shocked when her net-zero structure tested with high results. She circulated the tester she used to family and friends, discovering there were high levels everywhere. « A neighbour had 1,000, my parents were 780 and my sister was at 2,400. Her levels are equal to having 4,320 dental X-rays per year per person. Those are really dangerous levels, » Dumais recounted.

Despite the prevalence of the gas and the dangers it poses, the public remains relatively unaware of the issue. Scientists have been studying the gas and its effects since the 1970s, Goodarzi said, adding that, « In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency has taken that step. » He notes that in Canada it will be a bit more complicated, as the country considers radon as an issue for provincial jurisdiction. A naturally occurring element found in the ground, Health Canada is prevented from issuing a testing mandate.

The take home message here is that deaths from radon-induced lung cancer are preventable, and testing is the first step. If testing indicates a problem, it is followed by remediation, which simply changes a home’s negative pressure or vacuum to positive pressure that draws the gas away from the foundation through pipes in the basement floor and fans that pull the contaminated air outdoors.

To read the original article, go to http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/scientists-mapping-deadly-radon-in-calgary.

The post Calgary Scientists Mapping Deadly Radon Gas appeared first on Airthings.

The U.S. Surgeon General stated that, on average, one in every 15 homes across the nation is plagued with dangerously high levels of radon gas in the indoor environment. Those exposed to such a harmful environments run a higher risk of contracting lung cancer.

This naturally occurring gas seeps out of rocks, soil, and water, up through foundation cracks, holes, and porous surfaces, and into the interiors of homes like yours. If radon seeps into the interior of a home, especially during cold months when doors and windows are normally closed, it accumulates to high levels. That poses an increased risk to all who breathe the air.

Since the gas easily escapes detection, with neither color nor odor, the best way to determine its presence is by measuring. Many people purchase kits in hardware stores or from online sources. Others select a professional to perform the tests. Other options include digital testing equipment that records levels over time, and can be reused at any time to test levels in any building of concern.

If test results indicate, modifications can be made to reduce radon levels inside the home. Many homes can be easily modified to redirect the gas from under the home away from the foundation. Others may require fans or additional equipment. All will end in safer environments for those that spend time inside the home.

If you have questions about radon and the dangerous cancer-causing gas that is needlessly taking so many lives, go to the EPA website Radon page. Questions about radon, testing, mitigation, and other details related to radon gas exposure are answered, and resources are referenced to help you take steps to make your home safe.

Putting a radon test on your 2016 calendar, early in the year while it is still cold and doors and windows remain closed, is an important task that could save lives. While testing is possible any time of year, winter months give the most accurate results.

Clearing the air of radon gas will give you peace of mind. There is reassurance in knowing that you’ve taken the most effective steps to safeguard your home and protect your loved ones from this unnecessary risk. Spreading the word to your neighbors could also save a friend.

To review the original article please go to https://blog.epa.gov/blog/2016/01/test-for-radon/.

The post 2016 To-Do List: EPA Urges Testing for Radon Gas appeared first on Airthings.