National Radon Action Month and Identifying Exposure Risks in Residential and Occupational Environments

January is recognized as National Radon Action Month across the entire United States. This time to raise awareness and take action is important as estimates from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. In fact, in the U.S. alone, it is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. Across the globe, the World Health Organization (WHO) says radon causes up to 15% of lung cancers.
 
Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas that has been found in homes and buildings all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air people breathe. A home or building can trap radon inside and the EPA reports that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States is believed to have an elevated radon level (4 pCi/L or more). This is why the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General both urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes, schools and other buildings for radon.
 
While most people are aware that radon can enter a home or building through the ground to the air above through cracks and other holes in the foundation, far fewer understand that radon can sometimes enter a building through private well water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “While most radon-related deaths are due to radon gas accumulated in houses from seepage through cracks in the foundation, 30 to 1,800 deaths per year are attributed to radon from household water. High levels of dissolved radon are found in the groundwater in some areas flowing through granite or granitic sand and gravel formations. If you live in an area with high radon in groundwater it can get into your private well. Showering, washing dishes and laundering can disturb the water and release radon gas into the air you breathe.”
 
“The greatest risk of exposure occurs in the home for most people because that is where they spend most of their time; however, the work environment for some people could also be a significant source of exposure,” said Franco Seif, President of Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Radon can be a problem in new or old properties and in buildings with or without basements. It could also be a concern in those that get their water from private wells. Testing is the only way to know if radon is a risk in a home, school or other building.”  
 
To identify radon exposure risks from air and water samples, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) experts at Clark Seif Clark provide comprehensive radon testing services in residential, commercial and institutional properties. If testing indicates an elevated level, there are radon reduction systems that can be installed to dramatically reduce it from seeping in from the ground below and there are ways to remove it from well water before it enters a property.
 
CSC recently sponsored an educational video about radon in private well water to support the efforts of National Radon Action Month. The video can be seen at: https://youtu.be/z-ZomIX4wTk
 
To learn more about this or other air quality, industrial hygiene, building science, environmental, health, and safety testing and consulting services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com or call (800) 807-1118. 
 
About Clark Seif Clark
CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, and health and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
 

Contact Information

Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

Contact via E-mail