What Is Radon?
Radon is a colorless, radioactive gas that is extremely toxic.
The amount of radioactivity is given in units called Curies, abbreviated "Ci." In specifying very low levels of radioactivity, the units are picocuries, abbreviated "pCi." A picocurie is 10-12 of a curie, or one trillionth of a curie. In the case of Radon, the concentration in indoor air is given in units of "picocuries per liter of air," abbreviated "pCi/l." According to public health authorities, Radon should be of concern if the concentration indoors exceeds 4 pCi/l.
Radon is one of a small group of elements that is chemically inert. This group includes Helium and Neon, for instance. Radon is odorless and colorless. When Radon or its radioactive decay products is inhaled, the radioactive decay particles produce severe damage to the surface of the lungs. Because Radon is chemically inactive, it is difficult to trap or eliminate from the air in a house.
Historically, Radon was first recognized as a serious public health hazard in the middle 1980s, when a home in New Jersey was discovered to have more than 2000 picocuries of Radon per liter of air! The house contamination was discovered when the homeowner, who worked at a nuclear power plant, was found to be himself radioactive by the personnel monitoring equipment at the plant.
Detecting Radon
Radon can be measured by a number of methods. The most widely used measuring device is a small canister containing one ounce or more of activated charcoal. The canister is opened in the room being tested and left for from two to seven days. The charcoal accumulates Radon from the air by a process called adsorption. At the end of the exposure period, the charcoal canister is sent to a Radon processing lab for analysis.
Eliminating Radon
It is usually easy to eliminate Radon once it is discovered. The method that works in 99% of homes consists of a simple low-power fan that draws on the soil gas under the foundation and exhausts it to the air above the roofline. This does two things: It lowers the ambient pressure of the soil gas (reducing the driving force that pushes the Radon into the house) and it replaces the soil gas containing high concentrations of Radon with makeup air that contains far less Radon.
You can be sure that Top Notch Inspections, Inc. will provide a professional, thorough, accurate, and knowledgeable radon inspection, with your best interest in mind!