According to the American Lung Association, Utah has the lowest percentage of adult smokers in the nation, with 6% compared to the national average of 11.4%.
Yet, when it comes to lung cancer, tobacco is only part of the story. The American Lung Association also monitors the other environmental risk factors including radon and air pollution.
U.S. EPA
Right Beneath Your Feet
It may be surprising to learn you can live a completely smoke-free life and still be diagnosed with lung cancer. Second only to tobacco use, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Radon is a radioactive gas from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. What makes radon deceptive is you cannot smell it, taste it, or see it. Like carbon monoxide, radon is also categorized as a silent killer. It seeps through cracks (walls or floors), construction joints, gaps, and even the water supply. Running a radon test is the only way it can be detected.
The American Cancer Society relies on these scientific groups to evaluate the carcinogenic risks of various substances based on the available evidence:
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization (WHO). IARC classifies radon and its progeny as “carcinogenic to humans,” based on sufficient evidence that they can cause lung cancer.
- The National Toxicology Program (NTP) is an interagency program of US government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The NTP has classified radon as “known to be a human carcinogen.”
- The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors the human health effects from exposure to various substances in the environment. The EPA lists radon as the second leading cause of lung cancer and the number one cause of lung cancer among people who don’t smoke.
Not Just A Basement Problem
Basements should be tested for radon, especially when there are bedrooms on that level of the home.
Some of the misconceptions about radon are that it only exists in mining areas or homes with basements. While basements do pose a higher risk, any home can have elevated levels of radon. Alaska, South Dakota, and Pennsylvania have reported the highest levels, based on geology, glacial history, and cold winters which traps the radon indoors.
According to Utah’s Department of Environmental Quality, one in three Utah homes have elevated radon levels. Radon tends to be highly localized and can vary from one home to the next. If you’d like to view your zip code average, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality has been tracking test results since 1999. For example, over 77% of tests completed in zip code 84103 (The Avenues) had “safe” radon levels, but the highest level reported was 70.2. The average level of all reported tests is 3.4. The EPA recommends mitigation when radon levels meet or exceed 4.0 pci (picoCuries per liter of air), which is the equivalent of smoking eight cigarettes per day.
A Simple Test
The sunny side is that radon can be detected with a simple test and resolved with a mitigation system. Many homeowners discover their home has radon during due diligence. Unlike mold or termite activity that can be seen with the naked eye, a home inspector cannot inspect for radon. Testing is completed using a continuous monitoring system for 48 hours. At home charcoal radon tests are an easy at home option to provide a short term snapshot. Long term testing, 90 days to a year, is available with an alpha track detector. The best time to test is in the winter when windows are closed and the ground is cold or frozen, thus trapping the air you breathe and measuring if the gas is present in heightened levels.
If you or your neighbor complete a remodel it’s a good idea to re-test. When we initially tested my home, the level came in the high threes, which is borderline for mitigation. Several years later, after replacing basement windows, the radon levels had doubled. Ultimately the best fit for our home, since we had crawl space, was to place multiple tests in various locations in our basement to pinpoint where the radon levels were the highest before moving forward with our mitigation game plan. If you live in an older home with a basement with exposed dirt, definitely test and also consider encapsulation of the dirt.
Radon mitigation systems can be installed internally or externally on most homes.
A Manageable Fix
Mitigation costs between $1,800 to $2,500, depending on the ease of installing the system. Radon mitigation systems can be installed internally, depending on your home’s layout. This is more expensive but keeps the pipes from being exposed on the exterior of your home. Additional steps, such as installing a sub-membrane (heavy duty barrier for exposed dirt in crawl spaces), will increase the final cost.
Installing a radon system is one of the most unglamorous home projects but tops the list for wellness. As always, getting multiple bids and using a licensed and insured radon specialist is recommended.
Kerry Harding is a Realtor with Niche Homes, specializing in Military Relocation and the Avenues neighborhood.
