Here in the United States, radon exposure is a larger threat than many people give it credit for being. After all, there are many people who don’t even know what radon is. And as radon is both odorless and tasteless, it’s no wonder why. For a great many people, radon is the last thing that they’re worried about. However, as anyone working for a local sump pump installation service (a local sump pump installation service that is familiar with radon testing, to be a bit more specific) can tell you, radon is something we should all be aware about.
As those working for organizations like any given local sump pump installation service can tell you, getting your home tested for radon is critical, as radon can build up in your home without your even knowing it. That’s why companies like a local sump pump installation service will check for radon in the first place – as many people simply do not have radon testing and inspection conducted regularly. But why should you have your local sump pump installation service or other such radon testing company check your home for radon? Simply put, radon is dangerous.
As a matter of fact, radon can lead to lung cancer, causing more lung cancer deaths than just about anything else, bringing it to the second leading cause of lung cancer here in the United States alone. In addition to this, radon caused lung cancer alone leads to as many as 20,000 deaths per year in this one country. These numbers are certainly worrying, especially when you consider the fact that many people are not utilizing a radon testing and inspection company such as a local sump pump installation service to conduct radon testing in their home. And unfortunately, radon concentrations are far higher than they should be all throughout the country.
The data that has been gathered on the subject is more than supportive of this claim. It shows that, for every 15 homes found throughout the United States, at least one will have radon levels that actually exceed the action level that has been set for radon exposure by the Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA). And in some parts of the country, the state of things (at least in regard to radon exposure) is even worse. Consider, for instance, the fact that as many as seven states have radon levels so high that up to one third of all homes found within them will have radon levels at these worrying rates. And the same thing can be said for the radon levels in homes on three separate Native American reservations.
But what can be done about this? What solution can we find for radon levels that exceed safety, that put us at risk for lung cancer? Fortunately, services like your local sump pump installation service will likely test your home for radon before going through with sump pump installation – or after it. And other such radon testing companies can also be found with growing ease. But what will these radon testing companies do to determine the presence of radon throughout your home?
First, they will conduct a radon test. Fortunately, there are a number of options for these tests, including short term and long term radon testing options alike. For short term testing options, the radon levels in your home will be measured for anywhere from only two to up to 90 days. In addition to this, long term radon testing methods can also be employed, measuring radon levels in your home past that 90 day mark. And if radon levels are found to be too high in your home, do not fear. Radon mitigation methods are more possible than ever before, allowing for even passive systems of radon mitigation to bring down overall radon levels by as much as a full 50% (and tools like radon ventilation fans can help to bring down the levels even further than that).
At the end of the day, getting your home checked for radon is a good idea, even if you do not think that your home has a radon problem. After all, radon is very dangerous indeed.