Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas; thus, its long-term exposure can be dangerous to your health. Radon can be found in high concentrations in indoor environments where ventilation is adequate.
What Is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Radon is formed when uranium, thorium, and radium break down in the soil or water. Further, it leaves the soil and assimilates into air and water. Radon gas is colourless, odourless and tasteless.
Generally, it is surrounded in the air around you in a very small amount that normally is not harmful. But the inhalation of an excessive amount of radon can cause serious health problems, as it is the second-highest cause of lung cancer, second to smoking cigarettes.
How Do You Get Exposed to Radon?
More frequently, radon gas enters your house through the cracks in floors or walls or the small openings that are not fully sealed. Radon gas escapes the soil and enters your house. Radon levels are most high in places that are closest to the ground, like a building’s basement or underground mines. Radon is also found in water that comes from wells, rivers and reservoirs, but the majority of it is released into the air. That is why installing a Radon Mitigation System in your house or in an office building is suggested to know the radon level and finally seal the exposed cracks or holes.
How Does Radon Affect Us?
As we already know, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking. Long-term inhalation of this poisonous gas can even increase the chances of non-smokers getting lung cancer.
When you inhale radon, it enters your body and over time, it damages your cells because of radiation; thus, causing lung cancer.
What Are The Symptoms Of Radon?
As radon is present all around us, it is hard to find any symptoms that might alert us. We are breathing it in every day but cannot tell the exact amount of consumption. That is why it is a dangerous gas as we can’t see, smell, and taste it.
In addition, you recognise the symptoms of this poisonous gas after many years, such as long exposure to radon is one of many causes of lung cancer because it slowly weakens your cells.
Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor if you start to gain the symptoms of a nagging cough, coughing of blood, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest pain, or start to lose weight.
How Can You Protect Yourself?
There is one way to protect yourself from radon, and that is radon testing of your home. Radon testing is an important measure to take, especially if you live in an area of high-level radon.
Radon Testing:
You can do the Radon testing yourself at home, or you can also hire professional services. Generally, it only takes 4-5 hours to install a Radon mitigation system, but it also varies depending upon the layout of your home.
If you want to do the radon testing yourself, you can buy the radon testing kit. It has mentioned the steps that will guide you on how to install and operate it. In addition, all the instructions are also present there, like safety precautions.
Measures To Take To Reduce The Radon Level:
These are some of the measures you can take to reduce the high level of radon in your home:
- Smoke prohibition
- Proper air ventilation
- Sealing cracks in walls and floors
Wrap Up:
Radon is a part of nature and cannot be completely eliminated. Averagely, it is not harmful, but long-term exposure to high radon levels can put you at a high level of health risk.
To protect you from surrounding radon, you can do the Radon Testing of your house or your office building. Radon testing is fairly inexpensive and easy to do.