Free radon test kits run out: Tennessee

Radon can only be detected
by using a testing kit
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos

The Tennessee department of environment and conservation announced earlier this month it would provide residents with free radon test kits for their homes. The deadline for requests was set for July 30^th, but the state has already run out. 

Governments in both the United States and Canada have made huge strides in educating society on the harmful effects of radon: an odorless, colorless gas that can be found in many homes across North America. This cancer-causing, radioactive gas occurs when uranium breaks down in water, rock and soil.

According to US estimates, indoor levels of radon should be no higher than 2pCi/L (picocuries per liter.) If they are, steps should be taken to reduce the levels in your home. Higher levels of radon have been detected in the Mid-West and in the North-Eastern part of the country. To check whether your region has a higher risk of radon poisoning, visit the EPA’s interactive map of the US.

Canada has a different way of measuring radon. It uses Bq/m³ (becquerels per cubic meter) and has deemed that safe levels should be 200 Bq/m³ or less.  Studies have revealed that the provinces with the highest risk for radon are New Brunswick, Manitoba, The Yukon and Saskatchewan. They all recorded concentrations of radon that were at least 16 percent above the 200 Bq/m³ maximum. For more detailed information, check out the Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes.

Both governments encourage everyone to test their homes for the presence of radon, regardless of where they live.

What to do?

Radon contains radioactive properties
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos

Before panicking, it is important for you to get more informed by reading the information both governments have provided above.

The next step is to purchase a radon test kit to see what the concentration levels may be in your home. Test kits can be found in many larger supermarkets and cost approximately 20 dollars.

If you have a radon problem, here are some tips to follow:

•  Sealing: filling up cracks in the foundation of the house is a good way to reduce the amount of radon entering your home from the ground
• Room pressurization: this is the process of blowing air into the basement either from upstairs or from outdoors; this will help keep the radon from rising into your home
•  Heat recovery ventilator: this is also called an air-to-air heat exchanger and it is a constant ventilation system of incoming and outgoing air
• Natural ventilation: this is simply the process of opening windows and doors to allow outdoor air to pass through the home and disperse the radon

NOTE: Simply sealing or naturally ventilating the home is not sufficient for counteracting radon. They must be used in conjunction with room pressurization or heat recovery ventilation to be effective.

Source: The Associated Press

Another option

Air purifiers can also help mitigate radon poisoning.  When combined with sealing and natural ventilation, air purifiers can not only help reduce radon levels in your home, but they can also clean other toxins and particles from the air by using HEPA and activated carbon filters.

Do you have any tips on how to deal with radon? Share your advice with us.

For more information on AllerAir’s air purifiers, contact us through our website.

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Radon gas: The hidden health risk in the home

Radon levels can vary greatly from one house
to the next, experts say.

Health officials in North America have been ringing the alarm bells over radon for years – the colorless and odorless radioactive gas is difficult to detect, but it may be present in thousands of homes.

People know about the risks of tobacco smoke when it comes to lung cancer, but radon doesn’t get nearly as much publicity and public awareness, experts warn.

And this, even though radon exposure is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.

What is radon?

Radon occurs naturally in the soil and it can enter homes through cracks and openings in the foundation and the house itself. With so many homes being more energy efficient and airtight, it can build up indoors to dangerous levels.

In fact, the risk of dying of lung cancer because of radon in your home is one out of 50, the experts say.

In some regions, radon may be more prevalent than in other areas, and lung cancer rates often reflect that.

Testing for radon

Radon testing is recommended for every home – and it is very easy and inexpensive. Radon levels can vary greatly from one house to the next, so a neighbor’s results do not reflect one’s own risks.

Testing for radon takes about three months to get a good average, and health officials recommend retesting every two years since radon levels depends on the soil conditions and the pressure in the home and can fluctuate a lot over time.

Home renovation projects can change the pressure in a home as well, so radon testing should be done after the work is completed.

Source: WSIL3 ABC News

Radon and other indoor air hazards

Radon and other indoor air pollutants can be mitigated with better ventilation, certain home improvement projects and air cleaning systems.

AllerAir has developed portable and powerful air purifiers with activated carbon and HEPA that can help reduce exposure to chemicals, gases, fumes, odors, dust, particles, allergens, bacteria, viruses and mold.

The multistage filtration system offers the most relevant filtration media at the best price – guaranteed (ask about the guarantee when speaking to an AllerAir IAQ expert or when placing your order).

AllerAir’s air purifiers are powerful general purpose air cleaners, and they can be equipped with special features and options to address specific air quality concerns such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), mold, allergy and asthma, multiple chemical sensitivities, tobacco smoke and more.

Contact AllerAir for more information.

Are your children exposed to radon in schools?

Schools and other buildings can expose occupants to radon.

National Radon Action Month may be over, but the invisible threat is a year-round problem.

The naturally occurring radioactive gas also does not care where or when it accumulates, so it may be present in homes, government buildings or schools at higher than acceptable levels.

Since one building can have high levels of radon while the one next to it doesn’t, experts recommend testing every home and building for radon. The best time for testing is the winter.

Radon enters buildings through cracks and fissures in the foundation or other opening in the building, and it can accumulate indoors.

The gas represents a health hazard when someone is exposed to high concentrations over a relatively long time (several decades). In fact, radon contributes to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year.

In order to protect children from radon exposure in schools, some administrations are taking action.

The English Montreal School Board last year sent out a letter to the schools informing them of a new radon detection program instigated by the Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports (MELS).

New Health Canada guidelines lowered the acceptable levels of radon in the ambient air. In schools where radon concentration exceeds 200 Becquerel’s per cubic meter, which represents the maximum “safe” concentration under the new guidelines, remedial measures have to be taken.

In January 2012, radon detectors were installed in schools, which will be removed in the spring to be analyzed in a laboratory.

According to a Radio-Canada report from Jan. 30, the ministry of education decided to test all of Quebec’s primary and high schools for radon.

It’s a preventive measure, officials say.

School boards are required to test all their buildings for radon. The deadline for completion is July 1, 2014.

Mitigation techniques include special venting systems that vent the radon outdoors, sealing the cracks and fissure on the floor and more.

Radon is not the only indoor air quality issue affecting schools and school-aged children. To learn more about indoor air pollution and possible solutions, contact an AllerAir IAQ expert today.
 

January is National Radon Action Month – Get your home tested

The invisible, odorless killer: Radon contributes to 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year

Any home can have readings of high radon levels, officials say.

Health officials everywhere want to get the message out - radon can kill you, so make sure you test your home and take action if necessary.

Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is produced by the decay of uranium in soil and water, and it can enter houses through cracks and fissures in the home’s foundation or exterior.

It often gets trapped indoors and can build up to potentially dangerous levels.

Exposure to high levels of radon is especially harmful for people who smoke because it increases their already high risk of developing lung cancer.

The only way to know whether a home is safe is to test, experts say.

The test is not expensive and requires a small detector being placed in the basement or the ground floor of a home for about three months. It will give you an accurate idea of the level of radon in the home (a period of three months is suggested because the levels can go up and down).

• Radon levels outdoors: About 0.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L)
• Average U.S. home: 1.3 pCi/L of radon
• Unsafe radon levels according to EPA: readings above 4 pCi/L

Homeowners can install pipes in the basement to vent air outside, or do other types of repairs to prevent radon from entering the home.

Some areas may have a higher chance of radon, but the readings can vary from home to home and from region to region.

Source: Delaware Online

Improve indoor air quality with air purifiers

More manufacturers are incorporating an activated carbon filter in addition to the standard HEPA filter.

This extra level of filtration is proving to be a vital component for maintaining good air quality.

According to an extensive study of the air in nearly 50,000 American homes, 70% were found to have high levels of airborne chemical pollutants and gases.

An activated carbon filter is one of the only safe and proven filtration methods for removing airborne chemicals, gases and odors.

To be effective, an activated carbon filter should be several inches thick and use granular activated carbon.

The AllerAir 5000 Exec for general air filtration features 18 lbs. of granular activated carbon in a 2.5” filter, in addition to medical-grade HEPA filter for particles.

For more information, contact AllerAir.

Radon in the home can be a real health hazard

All homes contain some radon gas, experts say.

Health officials warn that all homes contain some radon gas, which could be a health risk for many people.

The radon levels depend on several factors, including

• Soil characteristics
• Geographic location
• A home’s construction type
• Condition of the foundation
• Weather

What is radon?

Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that is produced by the decay of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water.

The United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) says that radon is a worldwide health risk in homes.

Dr. Maria Neira of WHO said that "Most radon-induced lung cancers occur from low and medium dose exposures in people's homes. Radon is the second most important cause of lung cancer after smoking in many countries."

What to do about radon

Health officials everywhere advise all homeowners to test their environment for radon.

There are a number of testing kits available, including Alpha Track, Electret Ion Chamber, Continuous Monitors and Charcoal Detectors.

Most radon test kits have to be sent to the laboratory for analysis after the testing period, which ideally would take as long as three months, since the radon levels in a home can vary over time.

Once you know the average radon level in your home, you can take steps to mitigate the problem.

Source: Health Canada, EPA

Want to know more about indoor air quality issues and user-friendly IAQ solutions? Contact AllerAir today.
 

A great idea: State grants that help address health hazards in homes

Almost all homes have some kind of
indoor air quality concern.

The Minnesota Department of Health has awarded a quarter of a million dollars to seven health agencies in order to reach out to homeowners about health hazards in the home.

The initiative hopes to raise awareness of common indoor health hazards such as:

• Lead
• Radon
• Indoor air pollutants such as tobacco smoke

The funds are supposed to support local efforts  to encourage prevention activities as well as providing guidance and support.

The program builds on another initiative that is already addressing lead poisoning prevention for people moist likely to be exposed.

It was expanded because many homes that have one type of health hazard also suffer from other indoor air pollution issues, officials say.

The grants are set up to help target high-risk population groups, including young children, low-income and minorities, the elderly and areas with high levels of radon or lead hazards.

The local agencies that received a grant will set up healthy home networks in their communities consisting of professional staff, community members and other members.

The goal is to raise awareness of indoor air quality issues and to help people get healthy homes for a healthy population.

Source: Echo Press

Air purifiers for better indoor air quality

Portable room air purifiers from AllerAir

AllerAir has helped people address their indoor air problems for more than 15 years.

With general purpose air purifiers as well as specialized air treatment systems for IAQ concerns such as

• Odor and chemical control
• MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity)
• Mold
• Allergy and Asthma
• Tobacco smoke
• And more

Contact AllerAir for more information.

Radon and smoking – two factors for lung cancer

Smoking is bad enough, but if you also breathe in high levels
of radon at home, your risk of lung cancer increases even more.

If you are smoking, you know the risk. But often people don’t know that they have high radon levels in their home, which increases their risk of developing lung cancer (and some forms of skin cancer, as a new study shows).

Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment and that can accumulate in a home after entering it through cracks and fissures in the foundation. Even new homes can have elevated radon levels.

Experts say people can test their homes for radon quite easily and reduce levels of radon with a few relatively inexpensive renovations.

A heavy smoker has a one-in-10 chance of developing lung cancer. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon results in a one-in-20 chance of developing lung cancer.

Both exposures increase the odds substantially to a one-in-three chance, Health Canada says.

The experts shared the following tips:

• Test your home for radon. The winter months are a good time to place the small detector in the basement, if you spend around 4 hours per day there, or on the ground floor. Send it to the lab after three months.
• Seal cracks in the foundation
• Put a cap on the sump pump
• In a home with very high levels of radon, you can install a special pipe and venting system that pumps air outside (active soil depressurization)

You can also use an air purifier with activated carbon and HEPA to help keep the air clean.

Source: The Daily Gleaner

Complete air purifiers for homes and offices

AllerAir develops complete air purifiers for the home and office with a multistage filtration system that contains many pounds of activated carbon, HEPA and UV.

Together, these air filters can remove the widest range of indoor air pollutants, including

1. chemicals, gases, VOCs, fumes 
   
2. particles, dust, allergens 
   
3. bacteria, viruses and mold.

Contact AllerAir for more information.

Researchers discover link between radon and skin cancer

The indoor air quality in many North American homes
is affected by radon and other contaminants.

Radon, the naturally occurring radioactive gas that can build up in people’s homes, has been identified as a leading cause of lung cancer before – and now a study shows it may also have other health effects.

A new study suggests that a link may exist between radon exposure and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Researchers from the European Centre for Environment & Human Health (part of the Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry) have detected a connection following analysis of data on radon exposure and skin cancer cases from across southwest England.

The link was not evident in the development of malignant melanoma, the most common form of skin cancer, but it was found between areas where high radon concentrations are found and a particular type of non-melanoma skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.

"We know that naturally occurring radon is a contributing factor to a small proportion of lung cancers, but there is limited evidence of other health implications,” says the study’s lead author Dr. Ben Wheeler.

“These findings suggest that the issue of radon and skin cancer deserves a much closer look and we're planning to develop a more detailed study capable of detecting a direct relationship, if one actually exists.”

Health effects of radon exposure

Radon exposure has been linked to
lung cancer and now skin cancer.

EPA estimates that about 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year in the U.S. are radon-related.  Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. 

According to EPA, two studies show definitive evidence of an association between residential radon exposure and lung cancer.

“These findings effectively end any doubts about the risks to Americans of having radon in their homes,” said Tom Kelly, Former Director of EPA’s Indoor Environments Division.  “We know that radon is a carcinogen.  This research confirms that breathing low levels of radon can lead to lung cancer.”

EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (pico Curies per Liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L.

Indoor air quality at home

Radon is just one of many contaminants that can lead to poor indoor air quality and health effects.

Most North American homes, especially those with airtight construction and poor ventilation, suffer from indoor air contaminants such as chemicals and gases (like VOCs from cleaning agents, fragrances and building materials), particles and dust, mold, bacteria and viruses.

Using low-VOC products, natural cleaning agents and increasing ventilation all help to improve indoor air quality, but another easy and effective solution is a powerful home or office air purifier with activated carbon + HEPA.

AllerAir air purifiers

AllerAir’s portable air purifiers can remove the widest range of pollutants with its multistage filtration system.

The deep-bed activated carbon filter removes many gases, odors, chemicals and fumes, while the medical-grade or micro-HEPA traps tiny particles and pathogens. Pre-filters take care of larger particles and dust and protect the other filters’ lifespan.

For general purpose air purifiers or specialized units like MCS, Allergy and Asthma, Odor and Chemical Control, Mold and Tobacco Smoke, visit our website or contact AllerAir directly: 888-852-8247.