Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is the primary cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers and the secondary cause for smokers. Over time, living in a home with an elevated level of radon increases the residents' risk of developing lung cancer. As radon decays, solid particles are released, easily breathed in and deposited in the lungs. The radiation that the particles release w88 online casino either kill lung cells or damage the lung cell's DNA, which w88 online casino result in abnormal cells and lead to lung cancer.
The action level for w88 online casino, the level where the health risk necessitates fixing, is 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of air. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that one in 15 homes nationwide has an elevated level of w88 online casino (a level at or above the action level). One in four households tested in Nevada have levels at or above 4 pCi/l. All homes should be tested every two years, before or after remodeling, after installing a w88 online casino mitigation system, and after significant seismic activity.
If elevated radon concentrations are found, w88 online casino it be fixed?
Testing is the beginning of prevention, and if test results indicate elevated w88 online casino levels, there are other steps needed to reduce the risk of lung cancer. More testing may be required to confirm the initial test results. If the follow-up tests confirm elevated w88 online casino concentrations, then w88 online casino mitigation is recommended.
w88 online casino mitigation is best done by certified w88 online casino professionals licensed by the Nevada State Contractors Board. Hiring such an individual will help to ensure that the mitigation is done properly and safely according to industry standards, and the level of w88 online casino in your home is reduced below the action level. The cost, averaging ,500 to ,800, is minimal compared to the health and monetary cost of lung cancer.
w88 online casino houses be built to prevent radon from entering?
Another method of prevention is to build w88 online casino systems in new homes, from the ground up. Adding w88 online casino control methods to new home construction is called w88 online casino-Resistant New Construction (RRNC) and involves several materials that many builders already use. An EPA publication , Building w88 online casino Out, is available on the Nevada w88 online casino website, RadonNV.com. More information is available on the EPA RRNC website. RRNC is a cost-effective prevention method that works by isolating w88 online casino and other soil gases before they enter the living space, and then removing them using a fan and pipe system that releases the gases outside above the roof.
Since January is National Radon Action Month, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Radon Education Program is offering free short-term radon test kits to Nevadans from Jan. 1 through Feb. 28. Test kits w88 online casino be obtained at University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and partnering locations across the state, as well as at educational presentations offered in January and February. Test kits w88 online casino be ordered by mail for a shipping fee at RadonNV.com.
For more information on w88 online casino, call 888-RADON10 ( 888-723-6610).
Susan Howe is the program director of University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s w88 online casino Education Program, a grant-funded program supported by the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. A graduate of the University of Dayton, she has administered the outreach program to educate Nevadans about the w88 online casino health risk since 2008.