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Indoor Air Quality Testing - Regina, Sk.
RMO Environmental Inspection Services
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EPA -Environmental Protection Agency
EPA Protocol
EPA IAQ
Health Canada
Radon - IAQ
Its Your Health
NEHA
National Environmental
Health Association
NRPP
National Radon
Proficiency Program
WHO
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Radon Project
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IAQ Guidelines
Authorized Inspector
IAQ Standards, Guidelines and Protocols
More about RADON Gas:
Where does radon come from?
Radon-222 is the decay product of radium-226. Radon-222 and its parent, radium-226, are part of the long decay chain for uranium-238. Since uranium is essentially ubiquitous in the earth's crust, radium-226 and radon-222 are present in almost all rock, soil, and water.
What are the properties of radon?
Radon is a noble gas, which means it is essentially inert, and does not combine with other chemicals. Radon is a heavy gas, which accounts for its tendency to collect in basements or other low places in housing. It has no color, odor, or taste.
Radon-222 is produced by the decay of radium. It has a half-life of 3.8 days, and emits an alpha particle as it decays to polonium-218, and eventually to stable lead.
Radon-220, is the decay product of thorium (sometimes called thoron). It has a half-life of 54.5 seconds and emits an alpha particle in its decay to polonium-216.
Does radon have any practical uses?
Radon has little practical use. Some medical treatments have employed radon in small sealed glass tubes, called seeds, that are specially manufactured to contain the exact amount of radioactivity needed for the application. Radon spas are used extensively in Russia and Central Europe to treat a number of conditions.
Exposure to Radon
How does radon get into the environment?
Radon-222 is the radioactive decay product of radium-226, which is found at low concentrations in almost all rock and soil. Radon is generated in rock and soil, and it creeps through cracks or spaces between particles up to the outside air. Although outdoor concentrations of radon are typically low, about 0.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air, it can seep into buildings through foundation cracks or openings and build up to much higher concentrations indoors if sources are large enough.
The average indoor radon concentration is about 1.3 pCi/L of air. It is not uncommon, though, for indoor radon levels to be found in the range of 5 - 50 pCi/L, and they have been found as high as 2,000 pCi/L. The concentration of radon measured in a house depends on many factors, including the design of the house, local geology and soil conditions, and the weather.
Radon's decay products are all metallic solids, and when radon decay occurs in air, the decay products can cling to aerosols and dust, which then makes them available for inhalation.
Radon easily dissolves in water, and therefore in areas that have high radium content in soil and rocks, local ground water may contain high concentrations of radon. For example, underlying rock such as granite, or phosphate rock, typically have increased uranium and radium, and therefore radon. While radon easily dissolves into water, it also easily escapes from water when exposed to the atmosphere, and especially if it is stirred or agitated. Consequently, radon concentrations are very low in rivers and lakes, but could still be high in water pumped from the ground. Some natural springs, such as those at Hot Springs, Arkansas, which were once considered healthful, contain radon.
References:
EPA -Environmental Protection Agency
About Radon and Radiation Exposure:
- Radon is a radioactive gas that causes cancer.
- Radon and Radon Decay Products, (RDPs) such as Polonium 218 and Polonium 214 emit alpha radiation, which is the most damaging kind.
- Although alpha radiation is the least penetrating type of radiation, it is the most powerful… about 20 times more powerful than beta.
- When alpha charged decay particles are inhaled, either attached or unattached to other dust particles, they penetrate and attach to sensitive lung tissue where their energy is released (little flashes of energy like microscopic explosions) causing damage to cell DNA. When DNA is damaged it changes the chemistry in the cell and the cell can either die or mutate. This is where cancer can start.
- Radon itself is a decay product of Radium, and up the “periodic table”, Radium is a decay product of Thorium, which is a decay product of Uranium.
- The decay process to and from Radon is naturally occurring, and because Uranium 238 has a half life (half life = length of time it takes for half the mass to decay) of 4.5 billion years, it is safe to assume that Radon is never going away, and is a permanent health concern.
About EPA Radon Protocol and Testing:
- EPA Radon Protocol is the standard for “certified” testing procedures.
- All “Certified” Radon Inspectors in North America are required to follow EPA Protocol.
EPA requirements that directly affect clients being tested are:
- Radon testing must be conducted in “closed building conditions” where all windows and doors remain closed at all times except for quick entry and exit.
- For most tests and all “short term” tests “closed conditions” should commence 12 hours before testing begins. Short term testing should be a minimum of 48 hours.
- All testing clients must agree to maintain “closed conditions” and not to disturb any testing apparatus, so that the most precise results are possible. If “Protocol” is breached then retesting should occur before results can be considered reliable.
About Your Test Results:
- Radon test results will be presented in the standard Radon measurement of “Pico Curie per Liter” or “pCi/L”. A Curie is a standard measurement for radioactivity, and 1 pCi/L = a unit of radioactivity where there is 1 decay every 27 seconds in a volume of 1 liter.
- If Radon is found in your home or building, “DO NOT PANIC”, most problems can be fixed, and although the EPA recommends that any Radon exposure over a long period of time is a health risk, there are levels of Radon that are considered Safe.
- If your Radon test results are above the acceptable levels there are mitigation procedures and remedies for most homes and buildings.
