What actions do you take to keep yourself healthy? Have you recently quit smoking? How about changing your diet to promote more nutritious minerals and vitamins? There are multiple good habits we cultivate in our lives to increase our likelihood of feeling good and living long. Unfortunately, there are still unseen elements that try to lay waste to our efforts and put our hard-earned lives into disarray. Radon gas is one such chemical, an odorless and tasteless element found in nature that has weaseled its way into many American homes. What should you know? Let’s take a look at the dangers of radon gas and how radon mitigation companies can help.
What Causes Lung Cancer?
The most stunning fact about radon gas is also the most unknown. Lung cancer is commonly attributed to smog in the air or smoking cigarettes, but the fact of the matter is that radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Lung cancer is a slow and virulent disease, taking years to form and causing breathing difficulties, chest pain and, if left unchecked, death.
How Common Is Lung Cancer?
Because of the prevalence of lung cancer many studies have been conducted to better assess its risks and, by extension, provide solutions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (also known as the U.S. EPA) has found as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused every year by radon gas. Despite this, radon gas remains virtually unknown by many everyday people. Why is this?
What Is Radon Gas?
This chemical may be naturally occurring, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. It’s unable to be detected through scent or sight, meaning it can slip under your nose for months before being discovered through short-term side-effects. These include, but are not limited to, breathing problems, chest pain, dizziness, memory loss and nausea. According to the U.S. EPA, one in three homes across seven states test positive for higher-than-average levels of radon exposure.
How Can Radon Gas Be Reduced?
There are quite a few ways to both detect and reduce the onset of radon gas exposure. When the risk of lung cancer increases 16% per 100 Bq/m increase in long-time radon exposure, even a moderate reduction can save lives. Passive systems of mitigation provided by radon mitigation companies have been found to reduce radon gas by as much as 50%. Ventilation fans or a sump pump excavation can increase this even more.
Should I Apply For Residential Radon Testing Services?
Whether or not you need a sump pump installation will be determined by your local radon mitigation companies. Nearly one in 15 American homes have radon levels above the EPA recommended action level. If yours is one such residence, a simple test can determine the best method of action going forward. Lung cancer deaths, already ravaging the American landscape and ending thousands of lives every year, can be reduced by 4% through the aid of radon mitigation. Find out this month whether or not you need a radon abatement service. Your health, as well as the health of your family and pets, will thank you for it.
