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Mobile View ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS 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 MOLD INFORMATION CENTER ACCURACY OF VARIOUS MOLD TEST METHODS ACTION GUIDE - WHAT TO DO ABOUT INDOOR MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS - MOLD CLEANUP DO IT YOURSELF MOLD CLEANUP ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS FIND MOLD in BUILDINGS, HOW TO HIDDEN MOLD, HOW TO FIND 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 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 AGE - Old is the Mold? MOLD APPEARANCE - WHAT MOLD LOOKS LIKE MOLD APPEARANCE - STUFF THAT IS NOT MOLD MOLD ATLAS & PARTICLES INDEX MOLD BY MICROSCOPE MOLD CLASSES, HAZARD LEVELS MOLD CLEANUP GUIDE- HOW TO GET RID OF MOLD MOLD CLEARANCE INSPECTIONS MOLD DETECTION & INSPECTION GUIDE MOLD DOCTOR? MOLD EXPERT, WHEN TO HIRE MOLD EXPOSURE RISK LEVELS MOLD EXPOSURE STANDARDS MOLD FAQ's MOLD FREQUENCY in BUILDINGS MOLD GROWTH on SURFACES MOLD INSPECTORS & MOLD TESTERS MOLD LEVEL REPORTS MOLD LEVELS IN BUILDINGS MOLD by MICROSCOPE MOLD ODORS, MUSTY SMELLS MOLD PREVENTION GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS GUIDE MOLD RELATED ILLNESS SYMPTOMS MOLD SPRAYS, SEALANTS, PAINTS MOLD STANDARDS MOLD TEST KITS MOLD TEST KITS for DIY MOLD TESTS MOLD TEST PROCEDURES MOLD TEST REASONS MOLD TESTING METHOD VALIDITY ODORS, Smells, Gases in Buildings-Diagnosis & Cure RENTERS & TENANTS GUIDE TO MOLD SEWAGE BACKUP TEST & CLEANUP STAIN DIAGNOSIS TECHNICAL & LAB PROCEDURES THERMAL TRACKING TRAPPED MOLD BETWEEN WOOD SURFACES USING LIGHT TO FIND MOLD VENTILATION in BUILDINGS Air Bypass Leaks, Thermal Tracking ATTIC CONDENSATION CAUSE & CURE BATHROOM VENTILATION BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BRICK VENEER WALL INSULATION CATHEDRAL CEILING INSULATION CRAWL SPACE VENTING & Dryout Procedures HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET ICE DAM PREVENTION MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS MOISTURE CALCULATIONS MOISTURE PROBLEMS: CAUSE & CURE ROOF VENTILATION SPECIFICATIONS ROOF VENTING ENERGY SAVING DETAILS ROOF VENTING NEEDED? VENTILATION DESIGN PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS WHOLE HOUSE VENTILATION Strategies VINYL Siding or PLASTIC Window ODORS in Buildings VINYL CHLORIDE HEALTH INFO WATER ODORS More Information InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
Here we discuss the level of radon hazard likely to be found in underground houses, and how to prevent radon gas contamination in concrete and underground houses. See Radon Hazards for details about radon in buildings, its health effects, how to measure radon, the effect of radon contamination on real estate values and home sales, and a guide on how to remove radon from buildings. Also 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. Q&A: What is the Radon Hazard in Underground Houses & How do I Prevent an Indoor Radon Gas ProblemThe link to the original Q&A article in PDF form immediately below is followed by an expanded/updated online version of this article.
The question-and-answer article below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. Radon BasicsQuestion: I plan to build an underground house of concrete. The location will be in the Northwest where there is a lot of granite rock. I would appreciate any information you can give me on radon in underground housing. -- Harold F. Williams, Lakeport CA Answer: Radon is a colorless, odorless gas released during the natural decay of radium, an element found throughout the earth's crust. Concentrations of radon vary greatly from an average of 0.7 picocuries per gram (of soil) in North American soils to seven to ten times that in New Hampshire granites. Radon enters the home primarily through cracks in the foundation, from unpaved and unvented crawl spaces, and from sump pump pits. Water from deep wells can also be a source of radon gas in air and water in buildings, as can stone and masonry construction materials themselves, particularly when directly exposed to interior spaces. [That's why we don't conduct a radon test indoors by placing the test canister on the brick or stone fireplace mantel--DF]. There is evidence that the average home in the U.S. contains twice the atmospheric level of radon and that basements, on average, contain higher concentrations of radon gas than upper stories. Radon levels indoors are reduced by good building practices such as thorough sealing and waterproofing, positive drainage, and granular backfill - which keep the radon gas out of the house and allow it a route to the outdoor soil surface. Indoor air ventilation to 0.5 air changes per hour (ACH) should minimize any radon-related health hazard except under extraordinary conditions, and water borne radon can be filtered out with charcoal. Medical experts agree that long-term exposure to low-level radon gas increases the likelihood of lung cancer, but the degree of risk is unclear. Radon levels found in problem homes have been compared in risk to smoking one to three cigarettes a day. If you are concerned about the proposed building site for your underground home, radon detectors from Terradex Corporation can assess the level of radon present in soil at the building site. This article is reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. The text below paraphrases, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. The question-and-answer article about ... , quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss. Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss. Additional Radon details quoted from How to Remove Indoor Radon are just below.
If radon levels need to be lowered further, the system can be easily converted to an active system by adding an inline fan, which can meet the target levels in nearly all cases (see Figure at above left, showing a typical radon mitigation system installation). The goal of radon remediation is to lower the average indoor radon gas level to less than 4 pCi/L, and preferably 2 pCi/L. -- Adapted with permission from Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction. Detailed Articles about Radon: detection, correction, & prevention in buildings Radon Hazards "Radon Basics", Q&A article, Solar Age, April 1984, includes advice for radon-resistant construction for an underground house built of concrete 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.
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11/03/2009 - 04/27/2009 - InspectAPedia.com/Energy/Radon_Basics.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark