Radon-testing kits

A commercially available radon test kit for the home. The canister is unsealed in the area to be sampled. Radon seeping into the canister is adsorbed by activated carbon within the canister. After several days, the canister is resealed and sent to a laboratory that determines the radon level by measuring the amount of radiation emitted by the adsorbed radon. 

Ukraine s Chernobyl Nuclear Plant, wearing protective clothing, from International Mobile Radiological Laboratories, near Chernobyl, Ukraine, photograph. Reuters NewsMedia Inc./Corbis. Reproduced by permission p. 60 Radon test kit and carbon monoxide detector, photograph by Robert J. Huffman. 

Fortunately, it s easy to find out if radon is lurking in your home. Radon test kits can be purchased at little cost and are easy to use. If radon is present, some simple steps can be taken to reduce the danger. For example, any cracks in the foundation of a house can be sealed. By doing so, radon gas will be prevented from seeping into the house. Also, some method for circulating air should always be available. This includes a fan or an air conditioner. In an effort to increase awareness, the EPA observes National Radon Action Month (NRAM) in January. 

Follow the directions on the radon-testing kits, and expose the detectors in the selected home. If there are a sufficient number of kits for the class, some groups can expose their detectors in upper levels of homes, and other groups can do so in basements. Send the detectors to be evaluated according to the instructions. 

Radon Test Kit Image provided and used with the permission of PRO-LAB, Inc. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recommended that radon-222 levels not ercceed 4 pCi per liter of air in homes. Homes located in areas where the natural uranium content of the soil is high often have levels much greater than that (T FIGURE 21.26). Because of public awareness, radon-testing kits are readily available in many parts of the country. 

The test kit is used to detect radon in home basements. 

Radon dissolves into groundwater from rocks or soils. When the water is exposed to the atmosphere, some of the dissolved radon is released. As a rule of thumb, there is an increase of about 1 pCi/L in the air inside a house for every 10,000 pCi/L of radon in the household water.50 Higher radon levels have been observed in individual rooms when water is heated or agitated, such as during shower use.51 Builders should be aware that houses require groundwater as the house water supply could have a radon problem. The only way to be certain that the groundwater is not a potential radon source is to have the water from the well tested. Some states and private companies provide test kits for this purpose. It should also be noted that radon concentrations in water, like radon concentrations in the air, can vary significantly. 

Radon is an invisible, odorless, and tasteless gas, with no immediate health symptoms, that comes from the breakdown of uranium inside the earth. Simple test kits can reveal the amount of radon in any building. Buildings with high levels can be fixed with simple and affordable venting techniques. 

What can be done to combat radon pollution indoors The first step is to measure the radon level in the basement with a rehable test kit. Short-term and long-term kits are available (Figure 17.28). The short-term tests use activated charcoal to collect the decay products of radon over a period of several days. The container is sent to a laboratory where a technician measures the radioactivity (y rays) from radon-decay products lead-214 and bismuth-214. Knowing the length of exposure, the lab technician back-calculates to determine radon concentration. The long-term test kits use a piece of special polymer film on which an a particle will leave a track. After several months exposure, the film is etched with a sodium hydroxide solution and the num-... 

Contact the National Safety Council at its Radon Hotline, 1.800.767.7236, to order a brochure with information on low-cost, short-term test kits. Many major hardware stores also carry test kits. 

The one-time test kits are easy to use. Most are opened and left on the building s lowest lived-in level for 2 to 90 days, depending on the device, and then the exposed kit is returned to a specified laboratory for analysis. The results will be mailed directly to you. But, if you don t feel comfortable conducting your own radon tests, many qualified professionals will conduct tests for a fee. Contact your state radon office or state air quality control program for more information about licensed testing companies. 

Figure 21.25 Radon home-testing kit. Kits such as this are available for measuring radon levels in the home. 

The average indoor residential radon level in the United States is about 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), over three times the average outdoor level of -0.4 pCi/L. While there is no safe level of radon, the action level for mitigation set by the EPA is 4 pCi/L. (One curie of radioactivity is equivalent to the quantity of a given nuclide that provides 3.700 x 10 ° disintegrations per second). Radon levels are often evaluated at the time of a house purchase. However, testing can be carried out at any time by a professional or with a self-test kit. 

Inert gases. Neon is used in advertising signs. The gas in tubes adds both color and light. The test kit is used to detect radon in home basements. 

Figure B A commercially available home-test kit for radon.

Radon is a radioactive gas that seeps into our homes, schools, and offices. It is produced by the natural decay of radium in the ground. Radon gas is thought to be a cause of some cancers, particularly lung cancer, as it seeps into the ground levels of buildings. Kits are available for testing the levels of radon that may exist in your home—particularly the basement or ground-level areas. 

Relatively inexpensive kits are available to test for radon in your home. The EPA recommends action for levels of 4 pCi/L or above. Ways to reduce radon in homes range from the relatively simple, keeping a basement window open, to more costly measures such as installing a radon ventilation system. 

Radon gas detection kit. Radon is believed to be the cause of 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes for radon. 

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