What is Radon and How Does it Affect You?

Learn the facts -- radon may be contaminating your home!

Research about the connection between radon gas and lung cancer has gained more attention in recent years. But there's good news: radon levels can be reduced significantly, and Fogarty's Home Services can help.

As a member of the National Radon Defense network of radon mitigation experts, Fogarty's Home Services is a certified and trained radon mitigation expert in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Contact us today for more information about radon testing and our radon reduction services.

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that has become the second-leading cause of lung cancer -- second only to cigarette smoke.

Most soils contain uranium that, over time, decays to produce radium and polonium. Eventually, polonium is released with the radon, which creates a high toxicity level in the air and water that it infuses. Perhaps some homeowners are thinking they could recognize high levels of radon in their home. Unfortunately, radon is completely undetectable with any human senses.

We cannot smell, taste, see, touch, or hear radon. Thus, it easily goes unnoticed. When this happens, everyone in the home becomes susceptible to contracting lung cancer. There are also very limited lung cancer symptoms. Even at that, they tend to lie dormant until becoming more severe.

Lung Cancer

Radon testing can help limit your risk for lung cancer.

Lung cancer kills more people each year than the other top cancers combined. It also receives the least amount of funding because many people believe it's a self-induced disease. According to the World Health Organization, radon causes 15 percent of the world's lung cancer cases and kills 20,000 people each year.

For those 20,000 people who have never smoked and have never been heavily surrounded by smokers, the lung cancer diagnosis is far from self-induced.

Radon induced lung cancer kills one person every 25 minutes, joining arsenic, asbestos and benzene as a Class-A Carcinogen.

Cigarette Smoke and Radon

While the effects of smoking cigarettes are far more recognizable when compared to the effects of radon exposure, there is very little separating the severity of these two causes of lung cancer. How can smoking cigarettes be compared to radon exposure? Check this out!

Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. A measurement of 1 pCi/L is equal to 2.5 cigarettes each day. If your home has a reading of 4 pCi/L, which is the Environmental Protection Agency's required action level, every person is breathing in the equivalent of 10 cigarettes per day.

X-ray Radon

The amount of radiation in 4.0 pCi/L of radon is actually equivalent to the radiation in 100 chest X-rays. Sure, that seems like a lot, but this gets worse. Most hospitals actually only allow patients to have four chest X-rays each year. Let's do the math. That converts to the equivalent of .16 pCi/L per X-ray and .64 pCi/L of radiation a year with four X-rays. In other words, radon mitigation in Massachusetts and Connecticut is crucial to the overall health of any homeowner in this state.

Protect your home from radon today

Contact Fogarty's Home Services today to get a radon inspection and mitigation system in your home. There is no reason to wait any longer to address the risks of radon. We offer free estimates on all our radon services in Simsbury, Longmeadow, South Windsor, Granby, Suffield, Windsor, Wilbraham, Tolland, Chicopee, Springfield and the nearby areas.

Looking for a price? Get a no cost, no obligation free estimate.