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Understanding The Seriousness Of Exposure To Radon
Author: Heather ColmanAlthough radon has been around since the late 1800's, there are a lot of individuals who do not know what radon is and the dangers that are associated with it.
Radon is a natural gas; it is the by-product of uranium, which is found in most soil in the United States.
It is an odorless, colorless gas that can be found in homes, schools public buildings and even churches. It can be found in the soil and even the water.
Radon is radioactive and it can be potentially deadly if it is not found in time.
Scientific research has proven that Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It is frightening to think that if a person smokes tobacco and breathes in radon gas, that person is doubling their risk of developing lung cancer. Radon does not have any symptoms until it is too late. In the United States today, over two billion dollars are spent every year on radon related cancer costs.
Our children are our most precious commodities and we send them to school each day for a proper education. If there is radon in the schools, our children are breathing this poison nine months out of the year for twelve years. It can take years for radon poisoning to take its toll.
The American Lung Association, National Safety Council, the Environmental Protection Agency, American Medical Association unanimously agree that testing your home is critical to the overall health and well being of your family.
There are ways to lower radon levels to an acceptable limit. Most of the time, the cost is minimal. The do-it-yourself enthusiast can do it for less than five hundred dollars.
If you are hesitant to do it yourself because of what is at stake, then you can hire a professional to remove the radon from your home.
It is alarming to learn that the radiation that is in radon gas is the same radiation that is found in Plutonium. It is equally alarming to learn that a person living in a home with this substance is being exposed at a rate of thirty- five times higher than the NRC (Nuclear regulatory commission) allows for a radio active waste disposal site.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) established that one in one hundred thousand individuals would die from carcinogens. The death rate for radon is one in one hundred. These numbers are appalling.
This hazardous substance has been a threat for a long time and has been found in homes in every state in the United States. Until recent decades, no one really thought too much about it. Now that we know how hazardous it is, steps have been taken to either reduce the radon to an acceptable level or eliminate it all together.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/understanding-the-seriousness-of-exposure-to-radon-69445.html
About the Author:Copyright 2006 Heather Colman. Find more Radon resources at radon-focus.info.
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