When it comes to your home, a priority is making it a safe and healthy environment for you and your family. With this in mind, you do your best to keep your home environment clean. And while you may do a good job at accomplishing this task, you may be missing one of the possible hidden dangers in your home that could cause your family serious health problems. That potential danger is radon. Learn more about radon and how to deal with it in your home to keep you and your family safe.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally occurring in the environment. However, it is mainly produced when uranium (a heavy metal) which is used scientifically for nuclear power, weapons development (non-nuclear as well), airplane navigation equipment, and various other uses, breaks down. Unfortunately, uranium was not always well understood for its ideal uses and potential dangers and was used for glazes for pottery and kitchenware at points throughout history.
What Are The Dangers Of Radon?
Radon gas exposure can cause severe lung damage and even lung cancer. In fact, radon exposure is the second highest cause of lung cancer in the United States, and is the highest leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers.
You can also develop chronic pneumonia, emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis (hardened scar tissue on the lungs that develops from tissue damage and can affect lung function). The primary dangers of radon exposure have to do with your respiratory system. Children are particularly susceptible to the negative effects of high radon concentrations and can have lifelong health problems and lung deficiencies as a result.
What Can You Do About Radon?
The first thing you need to do now that you know about the potential dangers of high radon levels in your home is to purchase a home radon test kit. These kits come with all of the materials you need to take samples from your home, and instructions on how to send your samples to an approved lab for processing. Many kits even cover the cost of the lab testing so that you do not incur any additional costs.
If you prefer, you can also call a professional to perform the test for you. If your radon levels are within the government-indicated norms (safe levels), then you are in the clear. However, if they are borderline (at 4 pCi/l) or above, you will want to consider radon mitigation systems.
If your home has higher than normal radon levels, do not panic. There are ways to reduce your radon levels. You should contact a mitigation professional for a consultation and assistance, and they will have your home safe in no time.
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13 February 2015
Seniors are like any other specialized group of people. They need services specific to their needs. Everything from nutrition to housekeeping to travel is different for seniors, and the services they receive should reflect that. I am a mental health care provider, and I work exclusively with people over the age of 65. My goal is to help educate the general population about the special needs of seniors and to inspire people to make their homes, businesses and lives more acceptable to the older generations. Seniors deserve our care and attention, and I hope that I can show others how to provide it.