| Myth |
|
Scientific experts are not sure that radon is really a problem. |
| Neptune |
|
Sure, there are some scientists that dispute the exact number of deaths due to radon.
But all major health organizations agree with estimates that radon causes thousands of preventable
deaths due to lung cancer every year. They have names you will recognize -- the Centers for Disease
Control, the American Lung Association, and the American Medical Association. And if you're a
smoker, it's a much greater risk for you than for non-smokers. |
|
| Myth |
|
Radon is a problem only in old, drafty houses. |
| Neptune |
|
Oh contraire, my land-loving friend. Radon can be a problem in any type of home
that's in contact with the ground. |
|
| Myth |
|
I live south of Johnson County, which according to the EPA, means there is less of
a potential for radon. |
| Neptune |
|
Last time I checked my water-logged dictionary, "potential" meant "chance."
And that's what you're taking if you don't test for radon because high radon levels have been
found in homes that are in lower zones. |
|
| Myth |
|
Radon can not possibly get into my home! |
| Neptune |
|
Do you really know what's going on under your home? Here's what: When warm air rises in your
home, it creates a vacuum in the lower areas of the house. Nature hates a vacuum, so something
must rush in to fill it. In the case of your home, air seeps in from the soil around and under
the house, and some air is sucked in through openings (cracks, doors, windows) on the lower
levels. Radon gas enters the same way that air and other soil gases enter the home; through cracks
in the foundation floor or walls, the joint between the floor and the walls, hollow-block walls,
and openings around floor drains, pipes, and sump pumps. And it doesn't wait for an invitation
from you. |
|
| Myth |
|
I don't have a basement, so I probably don't have a radon problem. |
| Neptune |
|
First, where do you put all your junk? Second, radon can seep in from soil anywhere around or
under a home, regardless of whether your home has a basement, a crawl space, or is built
slab-on-ground. |
|
| Myth |
|
My neighbors have tested their homes for radon and they don't have high levels,
so I probably don't either. |
| Neptune |
|
Not so fast there -- you just might finally have something your neighbors don't. And I'm not
talking about something as good as a hot tub or powerboat. Radon levels can vary considerably
from house to house, even on the same street. It is nearly impossible to predict the exact nature
of geologic soil deposits and the extent to which soil gases will seep into and be retained by
a specific house. The only way to know whether radon exists in elevated levels in your home,
hot tub or not, is to test. |
|
| Myth |
|
Radon testing is difficult and time-consuming. |
| Neptune |
|
Fiddlesticks! Testing is easy. You can test your home yourself or hire a contractor to do
it for you. Very little time and effort is required on your part. And another excuse bites
the dust! |
|
| Myth |
|
Short-term test results do not give you an idea about the scope of your problem.
|
| Neptune |
|
It's true that long-term tests provide the ability to measure your actual exposure through
different seasons and weather conditions. But you don't always have the luxury of time. Short-term
tests are clearly as accurate for what conditions they measure. A short-term test followed by a
second short-term test may be used to decide whether to fix your home. Be aware, though, that
the closer the average of the two tests to 4pCi/L, the less certain you can be about whether
your year-round average is above or below that level. |
|
| Myth |
|
I've lived in my home for so long that if I had radon then I would have gotten
cancer by now. |
| Neptune |
|
If you have radon, the risk of getting lung cancer is always there.You will reduce your risk
when you reduce radon levels, even if you've lived with a radon problem for a long time. |
|
| Myth |
|
It is difficult to sell a home where radon has been discovered. |
| Neptune |
|
I've got a surprise for you: The fact that a home has been fixed and is currently
showing lower levels of radon can actually be a good selling point. |
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