Radon in Tucson…Seriously

The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) has, since 2005, found that exposure to Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S.    Let me say that again.   Radon exposure is the SECOND leading cause of  lung cancer deaths in the United States, second only to cigarette smoking!  ( www.epa.gov/radon ) 

Not to get too technical, but Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is present EVERYWHERE!   It is a radioactive gas that is naturally released with the decay of Thorium and Uranium which are common, naturally occurring elements found in rocks and soil.  It is odorless, invisible, and without taste.   Radon -222 decays into radioactive elements two of which emit Alpha particles, and are highly damaging to lung tissue cells.

The EPA  and the Surgeon General recommends that ALL homes  ( below the 3rd floor ) in the U.S. be tested for Radon gas, and action taken to remediate or remove any Radon gas with levels of two to four  picocuries per litter ( pCI/L ).   Levels that are consistently at  four pCI/L are dangerous and need to be addressed. 

The average home in the U.S. has a level of about 1.3 pCI/L.  The closer to the ground that your house is, the higher the levels of Radon.  Houses with slabs on grade ( as are most in Tucson ) and houses wth basements are more apt to have higher levels of radon in the home.   

Radon gas enters the house via cracks in the concrete floor, pores or cracks in concrete blocks, exposed soils in basements, mortar joints, loose fitting pipe penetrations, and some building materials such as rocks, and some granite countertops.

  In the 1990’s the EPA conducted a random sampling of homes in the U.S. and found that millions of homes had elevated radon levels.  They found that in every State there are homes with dangerously high levels of Radon!

Some of the randomly tested areas in Tucson had Radon levels nearly 10 times that which is considered dangerous!

Being a Home Inspector in Tucson since 2003, and being a real estate investor since 1996 in Tucson, the general real estate industry has believed and passed on to others that there is no Radon in Tucson, and so there has been no push to test for it.  I have heard it for myself on numerous occasions, and I spoke with Arizona’s leading Radon expert John Stewart, Radon Program Director for the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency who has also heard this misconception about Radon in Tucson.

  There has been some news recently about certain granite countertops giving off high levels of Radon.  Mr. Stewart from the Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency gave me some further information on this new finding, however it appears the research that was conducted was done by a group that is connected to the industry of granite countertops, and seems a bit suspect. http://www.marble-institute.com/industry resources/truthaboutgraniteradonradiation.pdf .

Other helpful links for more Radon information: http://www.epa.gov/ncepihom/,   www.nrsb.org;   www.neha-nrpp.org.

Please note:   Arizona does not have a certification process or requirement for Radon Testing.  Most people who are interested in having a Radon test perfomed rely on Home Inspectors. 

So, with the information that is at the EPA website, and the information from the AZ Radiation Regulatory Agency, as well as the recommendations from the U.S. Surgeon General,  we may want to re-think our old beliefs about Radon and begin testing our homes for our long term safety, our children’s safety and peace of mind.

TLC Professional Inspections does perform  Radon Testing in the Tucson and surrounding areas.  Please e-mail or call to schedule this essential test!