Radon: How to battle ‘silent killer’ within your home

By Sara Kandel
C & G Staff Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by Sara Kandel Do-it-yourself radon test kits are cheap and easy to use. For this one, distributed by the Macomb County Health Department, the user fills out a few questions, inserts the sponge into the packet and places it somewhere it can sit undisturbed for 72 hours. Photo by Sara Kandel Do-it-yourself radon test kits are cheap and easy to use. For this one, distributed by the Macomb County Health Department, the user fills out a few questions, inserts the sponge into the packet and places it somewhere it can sit undisturbed for 72 hours.

It’s odorless, colorless and tasteless, but just because you don’t know it’s there doesn’t mean it can’t make you ill or even kill you.

Radon — dubbed “the silent killer” — is the second leading cause of lung cancer, according to the surgeon general, and the Environmental Protection Agency estimates it’s responsible for 21,000 deaths a year in the United States.

In an effort to make more known about radon’s potentially harmful effects, the EPA declared January National Radon Awareness Month.

A highly radioactive gas, radon occurs naturally as uranium deposits break down in soil, rock and water. Unfortunately, if you’re exposed to too much radon, there are no discernable early onset-type physical symptoms, such as headaches, nausea or skin irritation, to alert you to the possibility.

“Radon is everywhere you go,” said Matt Noss of Air Quality Control, a national radon mitigation company. “Most recently Colorado, Pennsylvania and Michigan were rated as having the most occurrences of high levels of radon in homes. Michigan was third.”

According to the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, in 1988 more than 40 percent of homes tested in multiple counties throughout the state had elevated radon levels. However, current radon risk maps only classify the southern half of the state as having a moderate to high probability of risk for elevated levels indoors.

The data does not indicate, though, that all homes are at risk, as the amount of radon can vary greatly from lot to lot even within the same neighborhood.

“Everybody doesn’t have a radon problem, but they don’t know that, and since they could, they need to test to find out if they do or not,” said Steve Lichota, associate director of Macomb County’s Environmental Health Department.

“You cannot tell by how old or new the home is — you have to get it tested,” said Partow Guity, Macomb County toxicologist. “We have areas where just one house has high levels and the rest don’t, and areas where many houses do but one doesn’t.”

The only way to know if your home is at risk is to perform a test; the EPA recommends everyone test their homes. There are three ways to go about having a test done: At-home, do-it-yourself disposable charcoal test kits are the cheapest and offer accurate results; for a homeowner whose home has already tested high or someone who wants to be able to do multiple tests, digital monitors are available; and most home inspectors can also test for radon using something similar to the digital monitor, but with the capability of printouts and a wider range of data.

“Radon tests are available at Home Depot and Lowe’s and most other hardware stores,” said Ed Szycmanski, fire marshal and acting fire chief in Eastpointe. “Radon testing is very important, especially before purchasing a new home or building, because houses can act like chimneys — literally sucking the radon up from the soil through cracks in the foundation into the home.”

Test kits range from $12-$30 at most hardware stores, but are available for free to Macomb County residents at county Health Department offices. The Oakland County Health Department also offers test kits for a nominal fee at its Pontiac and Southfield offices.

Test kits measure the amount of radon in the air in picocuries per liter of air, or pCi/L. The average indoor dwelling has around 1.3 pCi/L. Outdoor air has about 0.4 pCi/L. Anything above 4 pCi/L is considered dangerous and should be taken care of as soon as possible.

“If someone has high levels of radon in their home, we can offer them a long-term test that measures the radon levels from three months up to a year to confirm there are elevated levels in the home,” Guity said. “If there are, we can provide them with contact information for area air quality contractors.”

Radon fixes range from simple do-it-yourself crack sealing to radon mitigation systems, but Lichota emphasizes that getting your home tested should always be the first step.

“You don’t need to start thinking about fixes if there might not be a problem, so always test first,” he said.

But when tests do show elevated levels, it’s important to address the situation, especially in homes where young children or elderly adults reside.

“In homes with elevated radon levels, everyone is susceptible to the effects — but children, people with low immune systems, the elderly and smokers are especially susceptible,” Guity said.

• The Macomb County Health Department recommends radon testing every 10 years. Free kits are available to residents at the Warren and Mount Clemens offices Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (586) 469-5236.

• The Oakland County Health Department can be reached in Pontiac at (248) 858-1312 and Southfield at (248) 424-7190.

More on radon mitigation

Much like a vacuum, radon mitigation systems work by sucking radon out of the air, except instead of housing it in a bag, it’s filtered up through PVC piping and blown out of the house via a fan placed inside the piping.

The cost of radon mitigation services varies from $700-$2,000 depending on the size of the home and the type of foundation — basement, crawl space or slab — but regardless of size and type of home, all mitigation systems work like vacuums, sucking up not only radon, but allergens, moisture and odors from the soil before they enter the home.

While mitigation systems are only needed in severe cases, testing is always necessary.

“Radon really is the silent killer — you can’t see it, smell it or taste it,” said Matt Noss of Air Quality Control. “It doesn’t matter where you are or how new your house is, it can be anywhere, in any home — all homes should be tested.”

Air Quality Control is both state and nationally certified; while the company don’t provide radon testing services, it is offering free at-home radon test kits to local residents. For more information, call (800) 667-2366.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Sara Kandel at skandel@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1030.