What causes radon - a comprehensive guide

Radon, a silent but deadly threat, causes almost 21,000 deaths from lung cancer every year in the U.S. Despite this, many individuals remain unaware of its presence in their surroundings, undermining the potential health risk associated with it. 

In this blog post, we will explore what causes radon and how it can enter your house, along with some practical ways to lower the levels of this radioactive gas.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Being colorless, tasteless, and odorless, it belongs to the noble gases in the Group 18 of the periodic table. It is also associated with the uranium decay series, where it emerges as a decay product of radium. 

Let’s overview what causes radon gas to exist naturally in the environment: 

The major component behind the formation of radon is uranium, which is present naturally in all rocks with concentrations varying between 1-3 ppm. Since soils are formed by mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks, they also contain uranium in similar amounts. 

When uranium decays, it ejects an alpha particle from its nucleus, having two neutrons and protons. It is known as radium, which further decays, leading to the formation of a radon atom. Being a gas, radon possesses higher mobility, allowing it to leave the rocks and soils quickly to enter the atmosphere. It can also seep into underground water sources.

A study revealed that 4 major geologic formations out of 14 had higher radon levels in North-Central Kentucky. These included: 

• Ordovician and Silurian 

• Millersburg Member (shale and limestone)

• Louisville Limestone (limestone and dolomite)
  

This highlights that radon levels can naturally vary depending on the geologic formations of a particular region. The same goes for soil; granitic soils are most likely to have increased concentrations of this radioactive gas as compared to the non-granitic ones. 

The radon levels can also vary across different regions depending upon various human-induced factors like: 

Mining, especially those of uranium, tin, silver, and coal, can release radon into the atmosphere. This gas, which was previously trapped in the earth’s surface, can accumulate inside the mines, putting workers at higher risks of lung cancer. 

Besides this, the industrial process of fracking can also lead to higher levels of radon. It precisely involves hydraulic fracturing of rocks to extract oil and gas. Consequently, a low pressure is developed in the ground, which creates more pathways for radon to escape to the surface. 

Modern construction models now favor energy efficiency, leading to airtight buildings to cut down heating and cooling costs. This compromises the natural ventilation, maximizing the accumulation of radon gas indoors. 

Moreover, the use of building materials like natural stones can also contribute to increased radon levels as they may emit this radioactive gas. 

Urban development leads to soil disturbance, which might end up releasing the trapped radon gas into the atmosphere. This typically happens in areas where soil comprises higher levels of uranium or radium. 

Additionally, the dense landscape with multiple buildings in a single vicinity can cause problems related to ventilation. The lower the rate of air circulation, the more challenging it gets to mitigate radon gas.  

Typically, 1 out of every 15 houses in the U.S. has higher radon levels than the safe limit. But have you ever wondered what causes radon to enter indoors? Let’s have a look at some of the primary sources of its entry:  

• Gaps and holes in a house’s foundation or service pipes

• Cracks in basement walls

• Construction and floor-wall joints 

• Unsealed sump drainage regions and sump holes 

• Plumbing perforations 

• Cavities within the walls 

• Suspended floors 

• Exposed soil in crawl spaces 

• Granite countertops
  

Simply put, radon majorly enters a house via its foundation. However, it’s not limited to this as even the drinking water in your home can contain this radioactive gas, which is released into the indoor air. This particularly applies if the water is obtained from ground-based sources, including springs, boreholes, or wells. 

When you are exposed to radon for a prolonged period, it can potentially lead to the development of a life-threatening disease, lung cancer. According to research, around 3% to 14% of lung cancers in a given country are attributed to radon exposure. The figures vary depending on average radon levels in the region and the prevalence of smoking among its population. 

Radon exposure affects smokers and children the most; here’s how: 

• Smoking itself is the leading cause of lung cancer, causing 480,000 deaths annually. Thus, if a person is exposed to both causative agents simultaneously, the risk of mortality increases by 5%. 

• The breathing rate of children is higher than that of adults. So, they might inhale more radon, increasing the chances of developing lung cancer. 

Besides cancer, radon exposure can also lead to many non-malignant lung diseases. These include chronic interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary fibrosis, and emphysema. 

Since radon is a colorless and odorless gas, its presence can not be detected unless tested. Yet, one-time testing does not work in this scenario as radon levels keep fluctuating indoors depending on various factors. These particularly include seasonal variations, nearby radon sources, building foundations, etc. 

Thus, you need to install a device that can continuously monitor the concentration of this radioactive gas in your home. So, the moment radon levels rise above their safer limit (4.0 pCi/L), you will be alerted immediately to take prompt action. 

For this purpose, you can acquire SunRadon’s Luft PRO for your home. Besides radon, it can also monitor temperature, humidity, and pressure along with accurate levels of other harmful pollutants like volatile organic compounds, mold, etc. 

Moreover, it features an easy-to-read mobile dashboard, so you won't have to spend a lot of time or effort learning how to use it. 

When the tested radon levels in your home come higher than the recommended figures, you can implement the following strategies to bring them down: 

• Ventilate the House: Small actions like opening windows can help with radon mitigation. This is especially required when you use exhaust fans, wood stoves, or fireplaces. The usage of these items can lower the indoor air pressure as compared to that in the ground, eventually leading to more radon gas entering inside. 

• Hire a Qualified Contractor: A radon mitigation specialist can find and eliminate the primary source of radon entry in your home. You can get in touch with your area’s radon office or EPA’s national radon proficiency program to hire a trained professional with adequate technical skills. 

• Soil Depressurization System: Another radon-removing technique employs the use of a vent pipe system and a fan. The fan withdraws the radioactive gas and vents it outside your home via the installed pipe. 

• Seal Cracks and Openings: The key is to seal all the gaps and cracks in your home’s foundation that may serve as radon’s entry point. You can use caulk, plaster, or epoxy sealant to do so. 

That was all about what causes radon! This radioactive gas originates from the breakdown of uranium in soils and rocks and can infiltrate your home through cracks in the floor, foundation, and walls. Radon exposure can put you and your family members at risk of developing diseases like lung cancer due to its carcinogenic properties. 

To effectively monitor and manage radon levels in your home, you can utilize advanced tools like Luft Pro by SunRadon. This robust detector immediately alerts you on dangerous radon levels in your home so you can take quick mitigating measures to stay protected. 

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