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Great, like we don't have enough to worry about! I remember radon was all the talk back when my parents & I moved to the city in the late 80s where we live now (& have been for the last 36 yrs, I believe). Then, there was a good 10, 15 years where I never heard any more about radon.
This is news? Long term exposure to high levels of radon has long been associated with increased risk of developing lung disease: cancer, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic interstitial pneumonia. First warnings about radon began in the sixties.
It's no secret that radiation can cause cancer, but this Radon in your Basement thing is an excellent example of pesudo-science being used to fool naive politicians and public.
To begin with, the data suggesting people with radon levels higher than some arbitrary level in the basement are st greater risk for lung cancer is only supported by cherry picked studies. Ten per cent of lung cancer occurs in nonsmokers-- the same rate as it occurs in "radon exposed" people.
Secondly, if you notice, there are no radon mines. Radon exists only fleetingly in Nature as a gas emitted by Uranium as it deays on its way to becoming lead (Pb)....,So, if you have Radon, you have Uranium....Radon decays by emitting alpha radiation-- very weak, can be stopped by a sheet of paper....Uranium, otoh, decays by emitting alpha, beta and gamma radiation. It takes three feet of concrete to stop gamma radiation.
I'd worry about the uranium. You can't ventilate gamma rays away.
As with over exposure to any substance, chemical, toxin etc in a home the key is to air out the house when ever possible by simply opening the windows as often as possible. Keep the concentrations as low as possible.
People love their artificial closed off environments better than fresh air/open windows. Then several decade ago they started pushing the ceiling fan thing in a closed environment which does nothing but swish old air around AND could pull fumes, gases etc from a basement into the living areas.
Found opening the windows works to lower radon levels. We had direct neighbors who never opened the windows that had to get radon remediation to sell their house. We had the basement windows or a window open as often as possible. Passed a radon test no problem.
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I remember radon was all the talk back when my parents & I moved to the city in the late 80s where we live now (& have been for the last 36 yrs, I believe). Then, there was a good 10, 15 years where I never heard any more about radon.
