RHODYLIFE

The Invisible Silent Killer

By RORY SCHULER
Posted 2/15/22

Johnston, Cranston and Warwick share a common, silent killer.Approximately 10-30 percent of homes in these three communities have radon levels equal or exceeding the suggested federal Environmental …

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RHODYLIFE

The Invisible Silent Killer

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Johnston, Cranston and Warwick share a common, silent killer.
Approximately 10-30 percent of homes in these three communities have radon levels equal or exceeding the suggested federal Environmental Protection Agency action level.

The entire Ocean State’s average radon rates hover around the national average.

“According to the Lung Association’s State of Lung Cancer Report, an estimated 21.4 percent Rhode Island radon test results equal or exceed the EPA Action level of 4 pCi/L,” according to the American Lung Association.

However, older homes found throughout Rhode Island and the rest of New England, are particularly susceptible to dangerous radon emissions.

“Radon is much more likely here and in the New England area,” said Daniel Fitzgerald, the American Lung Association’s Senior Manager of Advocacy in Rhode Island. “In Rhode Island, on average, one in four homes contain radon above (safe levels).

Nationally, it’s about one in 15 homes.”

On average, 26 percent of homes in Johnston, 17 percent in Cranston, and 13 percent in Warwick, test over what the EPA considers safe radon limits, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.

January was National Radon Action Month, “an annual observance that focuses on increasing the public’s awareness of the health risk from radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer,” according to the American Lung Association.
Throughout last month and the rest of this year, the association will be “encouraging radon testing for everyone, including homeowners, renters, real estate agents, building managers and school administrators.”

“Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas emitted from the ground that is odorless, tasteless and colorless,” according to the American Lung Association. “It can enter a home through cracks in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings. Radon can be present at high levels inside homes, schools and other buildings.”

Home inspectors typically measure radon gas in picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air, and the EPA recommends taking action to reduce radon if the result is 4 pCi/L or greater.

“Radon in homes is more common than you think,” said Dr. Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for the American Lung Association. “In fact, at least 1 in 15 homes in the U.S. have elevated levels of radon and this is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The good news is that it is easy to test for radon. Do-it-yourself test kits are simple to use and inexpensive.”

Some local contractors also specialize in home radon tests, and the remediation process for high radon results can consist of fairly simple fixes.

“Because radon is a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas, it’s one of those things that’s easy to not know,” Fitzgerald said.
The American Lung Association estimates radon-related lung cancers are responsible for 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.

“Smoking and radon exposure can separately increase the risk of lung cancer,” according to the association. “If you smoke, exposure to both tobacco and radon enhances the risk of lung cancer even further.”

Radon is emitted from the soil. Old homes with stone foundations or cracks are particularly susceptible to higher radon saturation rates.

“Both the EPA and the American Lung Association recommend that mitigation be considered if levels are greater than 2 pCi/L,” according to the American Lung Association. “After high levels are detected, a radon mitigation system should be installed by a radon professional. Radon testing should always be done when you buy a home and after building a new home.”

RIDOH also tracks data connected to radon rates in the Ocean State, and the agency agrees that approximately one in four Rhode Island homes contain worrying radon levels.

“This is significantly higher than the national average of one in fifteen homes,” according to RIDOH. “In Exeter and Richmond, more than 50% of tested homes exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level.”

Paul Brunetti, owner of Brunetti Home Inspections, encourages all of his customers to schedule a “Radon in Air Test” (and in water if a private well is present).

“This is recommended whether you already own a home or you’re preparing to buy one,” Brunetti says on his website. “Radon gas naturally forms underground, but if the gas escapes, which is very common, it can penetrate the structure of a home … Because radon is odorless and invisible, it’s important to hire a qualified professional to properly test the home.”

Fitzgerald notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of people thinking hard about the involuntary act of breathing.
“In the middle of COVID pandemic, people are talking more about lung health in general,” he said. “Lung disease in all of its forms impacts quite a few of us here in Rhode Island.”

If your home or business registers high radon levels, contractors like Exeter-based Radon Mitigation Services (RMS) can help abate the radioactive gas.

According to RMS, the average price of radon mitigation varies from $900-2,000 “depending on the work to be performed and levels of the radon.”

“It’s important to have your house tested because without testing it you won’t know if you have it or not,” said RMS owner Nate Coughlin. “You can’t smell it taste or see it.”
But radon can kill you or someone you love.

“Because radon is a tasteless, odorless, colorless gas, it’s one of those things that’s easy to not know,” Fitzgerald said.
The American Lung Association estimates radon-related lung cancers are responsible for 21,000 deaths annually in the United States.

“Smoking and radon exposure can separately increase the risk of lung cancer,” according to the association. “If you smoke, exposure to both tobacco and radon enhances the risk of lung cancer even further.”

Radon is emitted from the soil. Old homes with stone foundations or cracks are particularly susceptible to higher radon saturation rates.

“Both the EPA and the American Lung Association recommend that mitigation be considered if levels are greater than 2 pCi/L,” according to the American Lung Association. “After high levels are detected, a radon mitigation system should be installed by a radon professional. Radon testing should always be done when you buy a home and after building a new home.”

RIDOH also tracks data connected to radon rates in the Ocean State, and the agency agrees that approximately one in four Rhode Island homes contain worrying radon levels.

“This is significantly higher than the national average of one in fifteen homes,” according to RIDOH. “In Exeter and Richmond, more than 50% of tested homes exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s action level.”

Paul Brunetti, owner of Brunetti Home Inspections, encourages all of his customers to schedule a “Radon in Air Test” (and in water if a private well is present).

“This is recommended whether you already own a home or you’re preparing to buy one,” Brunetti says on his website. “Radon gas naturally forms underground, but if the gas escapes, which is very common, it can penetrate the structure of a home … Because radon is odorless and invisible, it’s important to hire a qualified professional to properly test the home.”

Fitzgerald notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has a lot of people thinking hard about the involuntary act of breathing.
“In the middle of COVID pandemic, people are talking more about lung health in general,” he said. “Lung disease in all of its forms impacts quite a few of us here in Rhode Island.”
If your home or business registers high radon levels, contractors like Exeter-based Radon Mitigation Services (RMS) can help abate the radioactive gas.

According to RMS, the average price of radon mitigation varies from $900-2,000 “depending on the work to be performed and levels of the radon.”

“It’s important to have your house tested because without testing it you won’t know if you have it or not,” said RMS owner Nate Coughlin. “You can’t smell it taste or see it.”
But radon can kill you or someone you love.

Radon, killer

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