Radon gas forms when uranium, thorium, or radium breaks down in rocks, soil, or groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing in air that seeps up from basements and through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.
For the past 34 years, an average of more than 44,000 new homes with radon-resistant features have been constructed each year across the United States. But Kyle Hoylman, co-founder and CEO of Protect Environmental, in Louisville, Kentucky, believes that’s barely enough to make a difference.
“The fact is that we’re building more homes with a radon problem every year than we’re fixing,” he told The Epoch Times.
“And it’s not just houses—it’s schools, daycare facilities, nursing homes, apartment buildings, and other commercial structures.”
The EPA indicates the cost to a builder for including radon-resistant features in new home construction can vary widely, depending on the size of the home and its location. The agency also reports that builders can often obtain radon-resistant new construction training from state programs and private service providers.
Hoylman said that the story of how radon infiltration into homes was discovered can be traced back to the 1980s in Pennsylvania, where a nuclear power plant employee began setting off radiation detectors when walking through them upon arriving to work.
“They discovered that he had been exposed to radon [at home], and that’s what started the whole radon-discovery path,” he said.
Currently, the EPA recommends radon remediation for homes with a radon level of 4 pCi/L (pinocuries per liter) or more.
“Different parts of the country may have higher than normal levels, such as rocky areas like the Blue Ridge Mountains or Appalachia,” Hoylman said “Homes with private wells can also be at risk if radon is present in the water.”
Typically, radon enters the home from the basement and can seep up into the living and sleeping areas.
“Some of the newer, more energy-efficient homes allow for less fresh air to enter, and as a result the air inside the home experiences less circulation with outside air,” Hoylman said.
“However, if more developers begin to include radon-resistant elements into new construction, we’ll begin to see a lot less incidents of radon exposure in homes across the country.”
For those homeowners faced with a radon-mitigation project, the costs vary by home size and market, ranging from about $1,500 to 1,900 for a mid-sized home in the Midwest to $2,000 to 2,400 for the same-sized home in the greater New York metropolitan area.
Hoylman said radon-mitigation systems can be installed inside or outside the home.
“It basically works like a vacuum, pulling all of the air from under the foundation into a ventilation system before the air can get into your home,” he said.
Piping then carries the air out above the roofline.
“The challenge is to keep it cost-effective but also aesthetically pleasing,” he said.
RadonResources.com also reports that seven states have no radon disclosure forms: Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, North Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. Only 11 states now require radon-resistant new construction: California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.
“The fact is that radon is present in every home, with varying levels,” Insoo Park, founder and CEO of Ecosense, told The Epoch Times.
“My job is to detect the amount of radon. A one-time reading of over 4 doesn’t kill, but you have to keep watching it over 12 months so you can see what’s happening throughout the year.”
Based in Silicon Valley, California, Ecosense provides state-of-the-art radon-monitoring systems for residential and commercial buildings. The company’s real-time radon monitors feature a patented high-accuracy ion chamber-detection technology, along with analysis and processing software that can provide accurate radon results in minutes instead of days.
“Currently, there are about 30 states where radon levels are exceeding acceptable EPA levels,” Park said, “and one in 15 homes in the U.S. are in the radon danger level. This could have a serious impact on anyone living there, especially small children.”
Park’s own home in San Jose originally registered 8 and 9 on radon levels.
“I wanted to create a device that would constantly monitor the radon so that I could help others and make it preventable with the proper mitigation,” he said.
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) notes that testing is the only way to know if radon is present in a home. The NAR also encourages home sellers to test their homes before putting them on the market, and, if necessary, seek remediation should levels present above 4.
Ecosense has recently launched its Radon-Free Campaign, an initiative designed to increase awareness about the health risks caused by toxic radon gas.
“Too often, we receive heartfelt messages from clients who really wish they had known about radon danger earlier,” Park said.
Hoylman agreed, saying that “with proper testing, remediation, and additional radon-resistant construction, radon poisoning is totally preventable today.”
