Month: July 2018

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Can Basement Sump Pumps Cause Elevated Radon Levels?

Can Basement Sump Pumps Cause Elevated Radon Levels?

Homes have sump pumps installed in the basement for the purpose of pumping water out and away from the building to keep the basement dry.  Sump pumps are used in homes that have basement flooding on a regular basis or have high water tables. Sump pumps are typically installed in a sump pit which is the housing holding the pump. Water drains into the pit and is pumped out and away from the home.

Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed from the natural breakdown of uranium in rock and soil. Radon enters a home from the soil beneath and around your house. Radon gas can enter your home through the footing drain tile that is connected to the sump pump in your basement.

An unsealed sump pump has direct exposure to soil gases which allows radon  gas to have a wide open path into the home. Sealing a home’s sump pump is an easy and inexpensive home repair with a sump lid. Studies have shown capping a sump pump can reduce radon levels by up to 50%.  Further studies and information re: proper sump pump management for both residential and commercial entities can be found in the EPA UST System: Inspecting And Maintaining Sumps And Spill Buckets.

Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!

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No Basement, No Radon, No Worries, Right? VERY WRONG!

No Basement, No Radon, No Worries, Right? VERY WRONG!

Let’s clarify the basement situation regarding radon straight away. Radon is the natural breakdown of uranium in rock and soil. That being said, a home with a full basement vs a home built slab on grade will BOTH have a concern with radon until tested to identify the radon concentrations.

A basement, finished or not, is the floor of the home that is either fully or partially below grade or ground level. A basement can also act as a partial buffer zone for the upper floors where radon levels are reduced the higher the level you go up in a home. It has been found each level you go above a full basement foundation, the radon concentrations will be 25-50% lower than the floor below. For example, the first floor radon concentrations will 25-50% lower than the basement and the second floor will be 25-50% lower than the first floor.  There will not be this same reduction in a home built slab on grade from the basement to the first floor.

Slab on grade construction means there is no basement. A slab of concrete is formed using a mold. The concrete is poured directly into the mold with no space between the ground and the slab. This means the slab is sitting directly on the ground with no basement buffer for radon to enter the house. Some homes with this type of construction may have a small crawl space which should always be tested for radon.

Because radon enters a home through cracks and fissures in the foundation and other openings, if a slab on grade home’s foundation slab is not intact, radon gas can enter the home directly from the ground into living space on the first floor. It is imperative that testing be performed to make sure the living space is safe. If a slab on grade home has a crawl space, the crawl space and the first floor should be tested.

Test Your Home…Protect Your family!

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Radon Exposure Duration and Lung Cancer

Radon Exposure Duration and Lung Cancer Potential

Radioactive radon gas is a known carcinogen yet the question comes up as to how long does one need to be exposed to develop lung cancer, if ever. Radon is everywhere in the world but the concern is raised when the levels are elevated.

When the human body is exposed to elevated radon levels, not everyone will develop lung cancer. It is radon’s daughter cells also known as radon progeny or alpha particles that pose the threat. When an alpha particle breaks down in the lungs after it’s 3.8 days half life and releases it radioactivity causing damage, minimally it can take 5 years from the onset for lung cancer to develop yet on average, it takes much longer with an average of 15-25+ years. Long term exposure is considered to be many decades yet the concentrations have a lot to do with the lung cancer threat. If radon levels are significantly elevated, the threat increases exponentially.

Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!

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Is My Radon Mitigation System Working?

Is My Radon Mitigation System Working?

Your home was tested for radioactive radon gas and the levels are elevated.  OK, you now have a health issue to contend with in your home yet you know it can be fixed. You have been proactive interviewing recommended radon mitigators and identified who will fix your house with a radon mitigation system. Now what? How do I know if the system is working once installed? How do I know if my house is safe?

After 24-48  hours of the newly installed radon mitigation system running, the house should be re-tested to identify if the radon concentrations have been adequately reduced and brought into a safe range. If the levels are still elevated, an additional suction point may be necessary.

All radon mitigation systems should have an identifying manometer on the PVC piping in clear view which will show if the fan is actively pulling. A manometer is a U-shaped tube used as an instrument for measuring the pressure acting on a column of fluid. The colored liquid will be slightly uneven when the fan is actively pulling and drawing radon out from beneath a basement slab. If the colored liquid is ever completely even across, the fan is most likely not actively drawing. That’s when the mitigator should return to examine the system fan to make sure it is intact and functioning. Before calling the mitigator back to your home, check to make sure the system is plugged into electricity.

The marks on the side of the manometer are NOT the radon concentrations. The only way to identify what the radon concentrations are is by testing. Make sure to take a peek at the manometer weekly to check that the colored liquid is uneven and remember to have your radon concentrations tested every 2+/- years.

Test Your Home…Protect Your Family!