When the team of workers came to your house to work on addressing a foundation issue caused by street creep, you had an interesting conversation with the foreman. He asked if you had ever considered adding a sump pump to your basement. When you replied that you had never had any problem with water in the basement, he countered with questions about residential radon testing. As the conversation continued, you feared that you had not done everything that you could to make sure that your family was safe in the home that you provide.
Every parent wants to make sure that they have a home that is safe. From the youngest of infants to the mildly irritating teenagers, parents want to be certain that the home they provide for their children is safe. Unfortunately, as many as 33% of the homes checked in seven different states and Indian land have radon screening levels over 4 pCi/L. This rating is the level at which the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends action level for mitigating radon levels.
One of the most effective ways of dealing with dangerous radon levels is through sump pump installation. In fact, if the radon testing indicates that your home is at dangerous levels, a radon mitigation company may also have other recommendations beyond just a sump pump for radon mitigation and abatement services. All parents know that making sure that your home is safe is essential.
Consider some of these facts and figures about radon testing and available mitigation services:
- Although it is recommended that all homes, schools, and other public buildings have radon tests, some states are known as locations where higher radon levels are often found. These include: Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
- Even passive systems of mitigation can be capable of reducing indoor radon levels by more than 50%. With the use of radon ventilation fans, radon levels can be reduced even further.
- 1 in 15 American homes is estimated to have radon levels that are at or above the EPA action level.
- The risk of lung cancer can increase by as much as 16% per 100 Bq/m increase in long time average radon concentration.
- Scientists estimate that lung cancer deaths could be reduced by 2% to 4% by lowering radon levels in homes exceeding the EPA?s action level. This could represent a saving of as many as 5,000 deaths a year.