Radon Gas

Radon Gas-The Lurking Invisible Killer

A simple test can determine whether radon gas is hiding in your home

Compliments of The State Newspaper

If you just look at the federal maps, you might think radon is not a problem in the Midlands. But if you're living with it, the effects on you and your family could be devastating.

Radon, a naturally occurring gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, behind smoking, and some studies show it also could be a contributor to stomach cancer.

But don't count on your nose to tell you if it's present. The scary part is radon is undetectable by sight or smell. The only way to know for sure if you're living with it is to test.

"You really need to test no matter where you live," said Aimee Morrow, radon coordinator for the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

She said high levels of the gas have been found in homes throughout the Midlands and Low country despite 20-year-old Environmental Protection Agency maps that show those parts of the state as low-risk areas.

But DHEC makes testing a no-brainer. The whole process, including postage, is free to anyone who calls the agency's hot line at
(1-800-768-0362).

"I think most people have never heard of radon," Morrow said. And those who  rely too heavily on the EPA maps, she said. "They think that it's not a problem, and they don't test," she said.

But radon could be a problem in any home anywhere. The way it works is this, Morrow said:

• Naturally occurring uranium breaks down in rock and soil to form radium.
• Radium breaks down to form radon gas.
• That gas is present at low levels in the atmosphere.
• It can seep into your home and become trapped, building up to high levels, which can pose a health hazard.

Carl Seville, an Atlanta-based consultant to the construction industry, said the risk of radon buildup in homes wasn't as great a couple of decades ago when homes were not insulated as well as they are now. But with homes being sealed tighter for energy efficiency, "You have to make sure the radon is removed from the house," he said.

The solution is simple if you are building a new house. Your builder can create a system of pipes under the house that go up through the roof to release any radon that might be present. A ground cover helps create a path of least resistance for the air, Seville said. The system costs several hundred dollars.It's a very inexpensive insurance policy, he said.

In an existing house, the same system can be installed easily in a house with a crawl space, but it's a little more challenging with a slab.

Morrow said the average cost of fixing a house with high levels of radon is $1,200, according to the EPA average. The range is $800 to $2,500, she said.

Morrow recommended testing your home for radon:

• If you've never tested or it has been five years or longer since you last tested.
• Anytime you complete major renovations that might have disturbed the soil or
• convert an unfinished basement into a living space.

We are trying to continue to get the word out that radon is a problem and you really can't tell (if it's present in your house) unless you test, Morrow said. Like carbon monoxide, it's hard for people to believe there could be a problem because there is nothing tangible associated with it, she said.

That's hard for people to really grasp, the danger that radon can present, she said.

South Carolina's toll-free radon hotline: 1-(800)-768-0362 (available 24 hours)
National toll-free automated radon information line: 1-(800)-767-7236
Toll-free radon fix-it program: 1-(800)-644-6999

Web sites

www.scdhec.gov
www.epa.gov/radon
SOURCE: S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control

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