Removing Radon, the Silent Killer

July 30, 2022

Mountaineer News

Community Health

BUCKHANNON - Radon is a radioactive gas that moves through spaces in the soil and can enter a house through any opening, such as cracks in the foundation or the concrete slab. At elevated levels over long periods of time, radon can cause lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. Radon is estimated to cause 21,000 deaths annually in the United States. It’s colorless, odorless and tasteless, and often called ‘the silent killer.’

Even if your neighbor’s house has a high level of radon, that doesn’t mean yours does. Each house is different, and age doesn’t matter and can be found in new homes.

Radon test kits are available at home centers and hardware stores for about $10. They usually involve setting a collector in your home for a week or so and then sending it to a lab for analysis. You’ll get results in about a week. (One manufacturer is Pro-Lab and charges $40; includes a postage-paid envelope.) Conduct the test in the lowest livable area of the dwelling.

If two tests give a high reading, consult a radon mitigation contractor (from a list provided by your state health department). These contractors can professionally test the house and install a mitigation system for reducing radon to a harmless level.

The most effective system is a vent pipe placed in the sump pit or a hole made under your concrete floor slab. The vent runs up through the house and out the roof, or out the side of the house and up to the eaves. A special in-line fan for radon is placed in the attic or outside the house to suck air through the vent. Any openings in the slab or foundation are sealed to keep out radon. Pros usually charge up to $2,000 for installation.

For more information, contact your state health department, the EPA radon hotline or the Air Chek’s Radon Information Center.