All About Radon
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This is part of a radon mitigation system that was installed in
a Skaneateles home I had listed. The white PVC pipe leads
to a pump that is sealed under the foundation. The pump
removes the radon from below the foundation and sends
it through the pipe out of the basement and over the roof-line.
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Let's start with the basics - what is Radon?
The EPA is pretty succinct with their description: "Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the united states. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation." They also have a really great guide you can download.
You may wonder why it matters - this is why!
Radon is reported by the EPA to be the largest cause of lung cancer among non-smokers!
You may wonder why it matters - this is why!
Radon is reported by the EPA to be the largest cause of lung cancer among non-smokers!
Where is it?
Some areas are found to have more radon than others - here's a great map of New York State that shows radon levels by county. I generally tell my buyer clients to defer to their home inspector as most are knowledgeable about areas that have high concentrations of radon as well as areas that don't. The safest way to know is to simply have the test.
According to Barry Bourgeois of Exsel Environmental Services LLC in Syracuse, NY, the U.S. indoor average is 1.3 pCi/L, and the outdoor average is 0.3 pCi/L.
As a real estate agent, I've seen plenty of radon test reports and levels are usually in the 1-5 range. If a house has a level that's over 4.pCi/L, a buyer generally negotiates with a seller to have the radon mitigated by a radon mitigation company. Mitigation systems basically create a vacuum under a foundation that through PVC pipe moves the Radon to a safe disposal site- usually over the roof line. The pricing of systems depend upon a number of conditions such as the size of the foundation, type of foundation (poured, dirt, etc.). A basic system in our CNY area is in the neighborhood of $1,500.
A buyer I'm working with now wasn't going to test for radon, but ended up doing so after understanding the link it has to cancer. The level at the house they're buying ended up being more than 16 pCi/l; an acceptable level is 4.0 pCi/l or less. They sure are glad they tested - and the sellers are realizing how dangerous it may have been to be living in that house for the past 27 years!
For those who are interested, here's the explanation of the measurement as taken from Air Chek: pCi/l= pico curies per liter, the most popular method of reporting radon levels. For those interested in the numbers, a pico curie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity. One pCi/l means that in one liter of air there will be 2.2 radioactive disintegrations each minute. For example, at 4 pCi/l there will be approximately 12,672 radioactive disintegrations in one liter of air, during a 24-hour period.
According to Barry Bourgeois of Exsel Environmental Services LLC in Syracuse, NY, the U.S. indoor average is 1.3 pCi/L, and the outdoor average is 0.3 pCi/L.
In my experience...
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Barry Bourgeois, of Exsel Environmental
Services, is shown outside the Skaneateles
home where he installed this radon
mitigation system.
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A buyer I'm working with now wasn't going to test for radon, but ended up doing so after understanding the link it has to cancer. The level at the house they're buying ended up being more than 16 pCi/l; an acceptable level is 4.0 pCi/l or less. They sure are glad they tested - and the sellers are realizing how dangerous it may have been to be living in that house for the past 27 years!
For those who are interested, here's the explanation of the measurement as taken from Air Chek: pCi/l= pico curies per liter, the most popular method of reporting radon levels. For those interested in the numbers, a pico curie is 0.000,000,000,001 (one-trillionth) of a Curie, an international measurement unit of radioactivity. One pCi/l means that in one liter of air there will be 2.2 radioactive disintegrations each minute. For example, at 4 pCi/l there will be approximately 12,672 radioactive disintegrations in one liter of air, during a 24-hour period.
What does a test cost?
Added on to a home inspection, the test is usually around $150.00, so not very expensive for peace of mind. If you live in a home and never tested for it when you purchased it, you may want to have a test done too. Even as a tenant, if a landlord has not done a test, you may want to have one to protect yourself. You can buy a kit at a hardware store or over the Internet. Sometimes the kits are free and what you pay for is the lab test results which you get from them once they've analyzed the kit canister you mail to them after conducting the test.Most counties have a set number of radon test kits they give out for FREE each year. The beginning of the year is often when that time is....so now's the time to get one!
In Onondaga County, the Health Department has the kits available - call 315-435-6613 to order one.
In Cayuga County, test kits are available at the Health Department, at 8 Dill St. in Auburn, but can also be picked up at the following locations:
- Sennett Town Hall, 6931 Cherry St., Sennett
- Aurora Free Library, 370 Main St., Aurora
- Springport Free Library, 171 Cayuga St., Union Springs
- Port Byron Library, 12 Sponable Drive, Port Byron
- Seymour Library, 176 Genesee St., Auburn
- Powers Library, 29 Church St., Moravia
If you live in a different county, check with your Health Department.
A must test. Simple to do. If the levels are high it is worth getting the mitigation completed. Depending on the size of the house and the levels will depend on the cost. Great article.
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