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Radon Hazard & Remediation Guide InspectAPedia®  -     Health effects of exposure to radon gas in homes - a consumer summary Table of lung cancer risk from radon exposure in air or water An easy guide to Radon Remediation in Homes Best methods for cleaning & filtering indoor air

Here we discuss the impact of radon gas contamination levels in air or water on real estate sales and property values. This article series includes excerpts or adaptations from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss, courtesy of Wiley & Sons. See ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - INSPECT, TEST, REMEDY for our full list of environmental hazard identification and remedy related to buildings.

© Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, Steve Bliss, Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

Radon Hazards in Buildings: Radon Health Effects, Radon Measuring, Radon Remediation Procedures

As detailed in Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction:

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas released from the breakdown of uranium and radium, which is found in rocks and soil and sometimes in water. The gas enters the house primarily through cracks and gaps in the foundation, floor drains, and sumps, and concentrations build up indoors. Radon can also enter the home through well water and be released during showering or other uses. In rare cases, it is found in masonry building materials. Radon is thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, after smoking (Table 7-6).

Radon is drawn into buildings by the stack effect and by depressurization from mechanical equipment. During warm weather when the stack effect is reduced and buildings are often well-ventilated, indoor radon levels are usually one-third or more lower. Also, levels in the basement are typically over twice the level on the first floor.

Health Effects of Exposure to Radon

Radon gas breaks down into short-lived decay products that can be inhaled either unattached or attached to other particles in the air and penetrate deeply into the lungs. According to its 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes, the EPA estimates that radon causes about 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually in the U.S.

This makes radon the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, where an estimated 1 out of 15 homes has elevated levels. The cancer typically occurs 5 to 25 years after exposure, and the risk goes up dramatically if the person is also a smoker (see Table 7-6, Lung Cancer Risk from Radon Exposure, below).

Lung Cancer Risk from Exposure to Radon

Levels of Radon in Drinking Water

While much less of a problem than airborne radon, radon in water is also a concern. If indoor radon levels are high and the household uses well water, the water should also be tested. In general, every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in household water contributes about 1 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) of radon to indoor air level. The radon gas is released from the water when it is aerated during showering, washing dishes, or laundering. There also may be an increased risk of stomach cancer from swallowing the water. According to the Centers for Disease Control, ventilating bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms is usually adequate to reduce risks from radon in water. However, where water levels are high, the radon can be removed by aeration treatment or carbon filtering.

-- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction.

Detailed Articles about Radon: detection, correction, & prevention in buildings

Radon Hazards
  Health Effects of Radon
  Guide to Measuring Radon
  Effects of Radon on Home Sales
  How to Remove Indoor Radon

See Radon Enviro-Scare for a full discussion of the normal cycle of public fear that accompanies the discovery and publicity of various environmental hazards, including radon gas and see Enviro-Scare, the Cycle of Public Fear for our article about consumer environmental safety worry cycles that change over time.

For a Thorough Background in Radon Hazards, Radon Mitigation, & the History of Radon Concerns in the U.S. also see these articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

• "Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 1 - William Turner, Terry Brennan, Solar Age Magazine Radon and its progeny are the slipperiest pollutants in the indoor environment, but there are simple ways to keep radon and its relations at bay.
• "Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 2 - what is radon, where does radon come from, how does radon get indoors, and why is radon a problem in buildings.
• "Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 3 - standards for airborne radon levels in buildings and recommended levels of radon for action, how radon is best detected, and radon action plan.
• "Radon's Threat Can Be Subdued", part 4 - radon prevention advice for new construction, radon in well water - how it is removed, sources of information about radon gas and radon contamination.

• "Defeating Radon" part 1- Terry Brennan, Bill Turner, Solar Age Magazine - How does radon get into buildings, how do I know if a building has a radon gas problem, how can I solve radon problems in existing homes, and what can I do to prevent radon from entering new homes. Part 1: where Radon comes from, how to diagnose radon
• "Defeating Radon" part 2- Guide to keeping radon out of new houses - design details
• "Defeating Radon" part 3- Key spots to seal, to stop radon gas leaks into buildings
• "Defeating Radon" part 4- Data on radon levels in buildings before & after radon mitigation treatment
• "Defeating Radon" part 5- Air filtering, testing after radon mitigation, where to buy radon tests

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• Daniel Friedman - principal author/editor of the InspectAPedia^® Website
• Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
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ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS GUIDE
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
ALLERGEN TESTS for BUILDINGS
ALLERGENS in BUILDINGS, RECOGNIZING
ALLERGY TESTS for PEOPLE
ALLERGY TEST ACCURACY
FLOODS IN BUILDINGS-priorities
FLOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT, SAFETY & CLEANUP
MOLD: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MOLD
ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE
  Health Effects of Air Pollutants
  Common Indoor Air Pollutants
  Key Strategies for Improving Indoor Air Quality
  Whole House Ventilation Strategies
  Exhaust-Only Ventilation
  Supply-Only Ventilation
  Balanced Ventilation
  Air Filtering Strategies
  Particles in Indoor Air - Chart
  Quick Guide to Gases
  Air-Cleaner Types
  Air Filter Effectiveness
  Real-World Effectiveness of Air Cleaners
  Finding & Reducing Air Pollutants
  Radon Hazards
    Health Effects of Radon
    Guide to Measuring Radon
    Effects of Radon on Home Sales
    How to Remove Indoor Radon
    Radon Hazard in Underground Homes
  Formaldehyde Hazards
  Biological Pollutants
  Volatile Organic Compounds VOCs
  Pesticide Exposure Hazards
  Lead Exposure Hazards
  Asbestos Exposure Hazards
  Carpeting and Indoor Air Quality
  Combustion Appliance Contaminants
  Backdrafting Appliances
  Fireplace & Woodstove Contaminants
  INDOOR AIR HAZARDS TABLE
  INDOOR COMBUSTION PRODUCTS & IAQ
INDOOR AIR QUALITY METHODS COMPARED
LEAD POISONING HAZARDS GUIDE
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
MOLD ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT MOLD
MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX
MOLD BY MICROSCOPE
MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS
MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD
MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE
ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure
RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD
SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP
STAIN DIAGNOSIS
TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES
THERMAL TRACKING

• RTCA, the Radon Testing Corporation of America, is in Elmsford, NY - 800-457-2366
• US EPA Radon level maps for the United States (747 K PDF file) - US EPA data on radon risk by geographic area - original source http://www.epa.gov/radon/zonemap.html

Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair

• Our recommended books about building design, inspection, and repair, and about indoor environment testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore.
• Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, by Steven Bliss. John Wiley & Sons, 2006. ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, Hardcover: 320 pages, available from Wiley.com and also at Amazon.com. See our book review of this publication.

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