There are a lot of things that homeowners have to worry about when it comes to protecting their families from dangers. There are some that are very obvious such as keeping the roof in one piece and installing windows and doors that cannot be penetrated by burglars. There are others that are not so obvious such as radon gas. The problem, say radon testing companies that while it is a very dangerous substance, many homeowners never know it is a problem in their homes.

The Reviewandnbsp;is reporting on the problem and what homeowners can do about it. They say that even when homeowners (and renters) have no idea that there may be dangerous radon gas in their homes, it can be there and be ready to cause problems. Part of the issue with the gas is that it has no color and no smell. It is also radioactive. The illnesses it can cause can also be deadly.

It has been estimated that radon gas exposure can cause up to 20,000 deaths from lung cancer each year, according to the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This makes exposure to radon gas the second leading cause of the deadly cancer. Only tobacco smoke causes more lung cancer deaths throughout the nation. The federal agency has also reported that this is a problem for a large number of homes in the United States. They say that up to one third of all American households have radon gas levels that are too high. They did assessments on homes in seven states and on three reservations given to Native Americans. They further report that when the levels in a home reach more than 4 pCi/L, they begin to cause problems for public health. Experts from radon testing companies say this level is at least 35 times higher than the radiation level that is allowed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). That agency would not permit this amount of radiation exposure in any setting and is worse than what workers at radioactive waste sites deal with.

Luckily, there are things that homeowners can do. residential radon testing services can go to a home and check for the deadly, radioactive gas. Homeowners who are not ready to take that step can avail themselves of radon testing systems that they can purchase and run on their own. If they discover reading that are too high , they can have follow up work done by professional radon testing companies. It is important to note that one high reading may not indicate a problem as bad or unusual weather can be the cause. It is important to repeat testing to make sure the levels detected are accurate.

There is more good news. Just because a home has radon in it today does not mean that it has to be there tomorrow. There are radon mitigation and abatement services that can enter a home and remove the radon. It should further be noted that opening the windows to air out a home may get some of the radon out, it still may be necessary to call in the professionals and let them handle it. In the cases of radon exposure, the saying, “better safe than sorry,” could not be more appropriate.

Active soil depressurization (ASD) is one popular way to get rid of radon. Radon mitigation services will actively grab the radon from under the home and releases it into the atmosphere where it will safely dissipate, say radon testing companies. If the water supply has been impacted by radon, there are ways to deal with that as well. The EPA has reported that there are a few ways to get rid of radon gas that has gotten into water. Professional radon removal companies need to do all real radon removal.

There are a specific set of skills and special equipment that are needed to really get rid of radon so homeowners who have it need to have it professionally dealt with. This is the safest thing for everyone in the home. Experts and EPA officials also say that repeat testing of any affected area needs to be done once the radon removal process is completely finished.

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