Scientists estimate deaths from lung cancer could be reduced by two to four percent, or about 5,000 deaths, by
lowering radon levels in homes exceeding the EPA's action level.
«There are a variety of ways to
lower radon levels.
Not exact matches
They found that
levels were
lowest in the winter, when cold, moist air at higher pressure rushes into the cave and flushes out stale,
radon - rich air (Earth and Planetary Science Letters, DOI: 10.1016 / j.epsl.2009.11.010).
The total radiation delivered, 0.5 gray (Gy), was high relative to environmental
levels (from sources such as naturally occurring
radon in rock), but significantly
lower than equivalent human doses experienced in CAT - scans or cancer therapy.
You can reduce your own and your family's health risk even further by
lowering radon exposure in your indoor environments to
levels well below EPA guidelines, and I would strongly encourage you to do so.
Outdoors of
radon levels are usually
low.
It is likely that in June and August, when
radon levels were
lowest, the homeowners had sufficient ventilation due to open windows that allow air to flow in and out of the house.
Typically measured in Picocuries per liter (pCi / L) in the U.S. and Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq / m3) in Canada --(1 pCi / L = 37 Bq / m3)--
radon is quite common at
low levels in most environments, with an average outdoor
level of 0.27 pCi / L (10 Bq / m3) and indoor
level of 1.21 pCi / L (45 Bq / m3).
Measured in Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq / m3),
radon exists in
low levels in most environments, with an average outdoor
level of 10 Bq / m3 and indoor
level of 45 Bq / m3, a difference explained by the build - up of
radon that confined spaces allow.
People who are exposed to
radon at the
lowest «action
level» set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have a «50 percent excess lung cancer risk,» the study says.
Reason number two: it's a bit easier to maintain over the long haul, and it's deemed a better environmental choice because it emits
lower levels of
radon — a potentially cancer - causing agent.
If
radon is in a home, it's generally in the basement or crawl space, and in
lower levels.
The inspector will leave two small canisters or a
radon testing machine in the
lower level of the property for 2 days.
The current U.S. EPA guideline is a
radon gas
level lower than 4 picocurie's per liter of air (4pCi / L).