Radon Testing Chicago

Most people realize that radon gas exposure is not good for their bodies and that such exposure could increase your chances of having lung cancer. What most people in Chicago don’t realize is that one of the places you can be at a high radon exposure over and over is your home. Read further and see why your relatives and family will benefit from a radon inspection conducted by an expert from radon inspection Chicago.

Radon gas is a natural phenomenon, created when uranium deposits bring down in soil and water. You can not see it, smell it or taste it. The gas diffuses into the atmosphere. It is mostly harmless in minimal quantities in the atmosphere. Radon will build up in poorly ventilated areas such as basements and crawlspaces.

How do you become exposed to radon? Radon is a part of the air we breathe. Low levels of this radon present in the air that you breathe are normal. If you breathe radon gas at high level, you may be at big risk of causing cancer.

Radon gas gets into your very home via cracks in floors, walls, or foundations, and collects indoors. It may also be discharged from building materials, or from the water obtained from wells that contain radon. If your apartment is well insulated and tightly constructed,, you could have high state of radon. Also, if your home is built on uranium-rich soil you can have a really higher radon levels. Radon gas levels are usually higher in basements and first floors.

How may radon cause you to get cancer? When uranium decays, it gives off tiny radioactive particles. When you inhale these particles, it may cause damage to the cell lining of the lungs. Breathe concentrated levels of radon damages your lungs at a faster rate then your lungs can heal. Therefore, cancer may develop. It is thought that radon is a second greatest cause for lung cancer in Chicago.

How can one discover the status of radon gas in one’s home? A radon inspection is the sure way to find out. Radon is a gas that is both colorless and odorless, so it is not something you can physically detect. Radon inspection Chicago is done by inspectors who are qualified to perform this job.

Radon gas is not only limited to a few select geographic areas or Chicago only. The EPA has recorded reports of radon in thousands of homes all across the US, Radon gas has been found in nearly every area of the country. The EPA shows that 1 out of every 15 apartments in the whole US has elevated levels.

If homeowners in your area have had radon inspections carried out, do not assume their test results would be your home’s test results. Each house in Chicago will have a different radon level. The neighbor next door to you may have perfectly safe levels while your home can have dangerously high levels.

Also bear in mind that your home’s age may or may not have an impact on your radon levels. Homes of all types have had high radon levels inside of them. The house could have just been built, or it could have been around during the time of the Civil War; the age and condition of the home may have little to no bearing on the radon gas levels.

Smokers with a high radon level home have a significant chance of ending up with lung cancer. Because children breathe more frequently and have quickly dividing cells, they are at more risk of being at radon exposure than an adult.

EPA comments that about one-third of homes across several states have radon levels more than the 4 pCi/L level that is considered to be high exposure.

Though there are no safe radon levels for radon vulnerability, it is agreed that the chance of death due to radon gas at 4 pCi/l is approximately 1 in 100. The alpha radiation that radon emits is the same as that emitted by radiation sources like plutonium.

These are very intimidating numbers. A house with a radon level above 4pCi/L has over 30 times the exposure to the people living in the house as measurements taken just off the property of a radioactive waste site.

Even though you are not able to see radon you can measure the amount that accumulates in your house, office or even the school by use of a proper radon detector. The radon detector takes picocuries in a liter of air. The pCi/L can let you know how dangerous the building you are in is. You can find the radon detector at your locality hardware store or places like Home Depot or Menards. It is very inexpensive to buy, and after you have made your test, then you will know if you need to use a Radon Reduction System that will reduce amount of the radon gas in your home up to about 99%.