Testing home for radon important as preventive measure
An insidious killer
By Joanne Fox Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, June 21, 2008
Todd Hagaman, a co-owner of Radon Mitigators, Inc. of Sioux City, drills the hole in the floor where a PVC pipe will be inserted in preparation for installing a radon mitigation system at a client's home. (Staff photo by Joanne Fox)
Frank and Diane Gruber are "breathing easier" in their Sioux City home now that they are no longer sharing it with a killer.
Several years ago, the Grubers detected excessive levels of radon in their Morningside home. That's no surprise to David Canny, co-owner of Radon Mitigators, Inc. of Sioux City.
"Every house in America has radon," he said. "Even the ambient air contains trace amounts of the gas."
Radon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, is produced as naturally-occurring uranium deposits in the soil decompose. The gas migrates through the soil and tends to enter homes, primarily through the basement, Canny said.
"Once it's in there, it begins to build up to a high level of concentration," he explained, "which can be dangerous when people are breathing it every day."
In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls high levels of radon inside homes second only to smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer in America, claiming about 20,000 lives annually.
The EPA has released a public service campaign that urges home owners to test their home for the gas. Many states, including Iowa and Nebraska, provide radon testers, either free or for a nominal fee.
"When we bought this house in 2001, we hired a home inspection service and he offered to check it for radon when we told him we would be spending a good bit of time in the lower level of the house," said Diane Gruber.
Check it out
As with many homeowners, the Grubers began remodeling their house to their specifications and testing for radon was placed on the back burner.
"Once we were settled and living there comfortably, we felt it was something we needed to check out," Frank Gruber explained. "We sent away for a test kit from the State of Iowa several years ago."
The test was not particularly user-friendly, Frank Gruber admitted.
"The test strip needed to be in a certain spot in the house with no wind on it and left for three to five days," he said. "Then it had to be sealed up without your hands touching the strip and sent in. The results showed we had a level of 7 in our home."
Radon gas levels are measured in pCi/L or picocuries per liter. The EPA recommends that corrective action be taken on radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L.
"We thought we should check the level better so I went on eBay and found a digital detector that you could reuse for $100," Diane Gruber said. "I didn't think that was a huge investment since we were looking at our health."
What the Grubers discovered was that radon levels in their house would go as low as 5 or 6 and as high as 11 or 12, depending on the time of the year or if the house was open or closed. The level could be just as bad upstairs as it was in the basement, Diane Gruber said. The results were enough that they called Radon Mitigators for an evaluation.
Iowa a 'red' state
Canny said the counties in the Tri-State area are some of the worst in the nation for radon levels. It's the geology of this area that makes it prone to radon problems, making Iowa (according to the EPA) a "red" state, in more ways than one, Canny said.
"The theory is that during the glacial age, uranium deposits settled in the earth heavily in this area," he explained. "The EPA has designated the entire state as a Zone 1 area, which means that at least 50 percent of the homes are above 4.0."
Because of that risk, Canny estimated that most homes in Siouxland have excess levels of radon and he recommended every home should be tested for the gas.
Radon detectors are available at home improvement centers, department stores and large retailers, Canny said. Sometimes the EPA will have a discount coupon on its Web site for customers.
"I would caution buyers to check when they buy to make sure if there's an additional charge for lab fees," he pointed out. "Sometimes there are and sometimes there aren't."
Radon testing is not required by law and not even required as a test when you buy a house, Canny said.
"However, builders in Sioux City are installing radon mitigation systems in all new homes as they are built," he said. "The State of Iowa is making that a high priority."
The retail store detectors are reliable but can take anywhere from two to three weeks for results. There are professionally trained specialists who are certified to conduct radon tests in Iowa.
"You can buy the tests at a retailer, but you need to make sure they aren't damaged first," explained Mike Tracy of Tri-State Certified Home Inspection Services. "The bigger advantage by using a certified testing specialist is I can bring the test home, hook it up to my computer and have the results for you in 48 hours."
Once the results are in, then it's the homeowner's call as to the next step, said Tracy.
"If the level is say 4.3, then that's above the EPA, so you would want to do a short-term and long-term or 90-day test," he explained. "You're looking for the most accurate reading."
If that initial test indicated radon levels in the 20s, Tracy, who's been testing for the past six years, stressed the mitigation wasn't a question.
"Even if it were around 10, and I'm just answering this as if it were me," said Tracy, who estimated 70 to 75 percent of his clients have over 4 for radon levels. "I would mitigate."
Installing a system
Once the testing is complete and a decision is made, a business such as Radon Mitigators will come in and evaluate the situation, Canny said. The State of Iowa also has a credentialing program for anyone who installs radon reduction systems in the state.
"It might be as simple, with the lower levels, of doing some sealing or filling in cracks or fixing drainage problems," he said. "If those aren't the problem, then you're looking at a mitigation system."
In essence the mitigation system is a ventilation unit that pulls air from beneath the concrete floor of the basement and ejects it outside to prevent radon from collecting inside.
Canny and his partner Todd Hagaman work together to drill a four-inch hole in the basement floor and router out enough dirt to fill about a five-gallon pail. Into the hole, a PVC pipe and sealer will be installed. The pipe travels from the floor and out of the house to a fan. The fan provides just enough pressure to lead the radon up and out into the atmosphere.
"We know they (Radon Mitigators) did a good job because we test our home on occasion and it almost always is at level 1," Diane Gruber said. "It's an incredible feeling of comfort to realize we are no longer breathing the gas."
The EPA recommends testing the level of radon every two years, said Canny, and that includes homes with a mitigation system.
"The reason is as homes age, new cracks in the foundation may occur which may result in higher levels of radon," he noted. "A periodic test for radon ensures the levels remain low."
Canny said excessive radon inside homes is a health risk that is much too dangerous to be ignored.
"There's no precursory symptoms to indicate something is wrong," he emphasized. "You don't have a sore throat and you don't have problems breathing, but radon has a high risk factor for lung cancer that shouldn't be ignored."
Chris Delzell graph on Northwest Iowa counties and radon statistics
Several years ago, the Grubers detected excessive levels of radon in their Morningside home. That's no surprise to David Canny, co-owner of Radon Mitigators, Inc. of Sioux City.
"Every house in America has radon," he said. "Even the ambient air contains trace amounts of the gas."
Radon, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, is produced as naturally-occurring uranium deposits in the soil decompose. The gas migrates through the soil and tends to enter homes, primarily through the basement, Canny said.
"Once it's in there, it begins to build up to a high level of concentration," he explained, "which can be dangerous when people are breathing it every day."
In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls high levels of radon inside homes second only to smoking as a leading cause of lung cancer in America, claiming about 20,000 lives annually.
The EPA has released a public service campaign that urges home owners to test their home for the gas. Many states, including Iowa and Nebraska, provide radon testers, either free or for a nominal fee.
"When we bought this house in 2001, we hired a home inspection service and he offered to check it for radon when we told him we would be spending a good bit of time in the lower level of the house," said Diane Gruber.
Check it out
As with many homeowners, the Grubers began remodeling their house to their specifications and testing for radon was placed on the back burner.
"Once we were settled and living there comfortably, we felt it was something we needed to check out," Frank Gruber explained. "We sent away for a test kit from the State of Iowa several years ago."
The test was not particularly user-friendly, Frank Gruber admitted.
"The test strip needed to be in a certain spot in the house with no wind on it and left for three to five days," he said. "Then it had to be sealed up without your hands touching the strip and sent in. The results showed we had a level of 7 in our home."
Radon gas levels are measured in pCi/L or picocuries per liter. The EPA recommends that corrective action be taken on radon levels above 4.0 pCi/L.
"We thought we should check the level better so I went on eBay and found a digital detector that you could reuse for $100," Diane Gruber said. "I didn't think that was a huge investment since we were looking at our health."
What the Grubers discovered was that radon levels in their house would go as low as 5 or 6 and as high as 11 or 12, depending on the time of the year or if the house was open or closed. The level could be just as bad upstairs as it was in the basement, Diane Gruber said. The results were enough that they called Radon Mitigators for an evaluation.
Iowa a 'red' state
Canny said the counties in the Tri-State area are some of the worst in the nation for radon levels. It's the geology of this area that makes it prone to radon problems, making Iowa (according to the EPA) a "red" state, in more ways than one, Canny said.
"The theory is that during the glacial age, uranium deposits settled in the earth heavily in this area," he explained. "The EPA has designated the entire state as a Zone 1 area, which means that at least 50 percent of the homes are above 4.0."
Because of that risk, Canny estimated that most homes in Siouxland have excess levels of radon and he recommended every home should be tested for the gas.
Radon detectors are available at home improvement centers, department stores and large retailers, Canny said. Sometimes the EPA will have a discount coupon on its Web site for customers.
"I would caution buyers to check when they buy to make sure if there's an additional charge for lab fees," he pointed out. "Sometimes there are and sometimes there aren't."
Radon testing is not required by law and not even required as a test when you buy a house, Canny said.
"However, builders in Sioux City are installing radon mitigation systems in all new homes as they are built," he said. "The State of Iowa is making that a high priority."
The retail store detectors are reliable but can take anywhere from two to three weeks for results. There are professionally trained specialists who are certified to conduct radon tests in Iowa.
"You can buy the tests at a retailer, but you need to make sure they aren't damaged first," explained Mike Tracy of Tri-State Certified Home Inspection Services. "The bigger advantage by using a certified testing specialist is I can bring the test home, hook it up to my computer and have the results for you in 48 hours."
Once the results are in, then it's the homeowner's call as to the next step, said Tracy.
"If the level is say 4.3, then that's above the EPA, so you would want to do a short-term and long-term or 90-day test," he explained. "You're looking for the most accurate reading."
If that initial test indicated radon levels in the 20s, Tracy, who's been testing for the past six years, stressed the mitigation wasn't a question.
"Even if it were around 10, and I'm just answering this as if it were me," said Tracy, who estimated 70 to 75 percent of his clients have over 4 for radon levels. "I would mitigate."
Installing a system
Once the testing is complete and a decision is made, a business such as Radon Mitigators will come in and evaluate the situation, Canny said. The State of Iowa also has a credentialing program for anyone who installs radon reduction systems in the state.
"It might be as simple, with the lower levels, of doing some sealing or filling in cracks or fixing drainage problems," he said. "If those aren't the problem, then you're looking at a mitigation system."
In essence the mitigation system is a ventilation unit that pulls air from beneath the concrete floor of the basement and ejects it outside to prevent radon from collecting inside.
Canny and his partner Todd Hagaman work together to drill a four-inch hole in the basement floor and router out enough dirt to fill about a five-gallon pail. Into the hole, a PVC pipe and sealer will be installed. The pipe travels from the floor and out of the house to a fan. The fan provides just enough pressure to lead the radon up and out into the atmosphere.
"We know they (Radon Mitigators) did a good job because we test our home on occasion and it almost always is at level 1," Diane Gruber said. "It's an incredible feeling of comfort to realize we are no longer breathing the gas."
The EPA recommends testing the level of radon every two years, said Canny, and that includes homes with a mitigation system.
"The reason is as homes age, new cracks in the foundation may occur which may result in higher levels of radon," he noted. "A periodic test for radon ensures the levels remain low."
Canny said excessive radon inside homes is a health risk that is much too dangerous to be ignored.
"There's no precursory symptoms to indicate something is wrong," he emphasized. "You don't have a sore throat and you don't have problems breathing, but radon has a high risk factor for lung cancer that shouldn't be ignored."
Chris Delzell graph on Northwest Iowa counties and radon statistics
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