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HomeWright
Inspections, L.L.C.
is certified by theNational Environmental Health Association
(NEHA)
Radon
Radon
— The second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
If you're
buying or selling a home, radon can be a significant issue.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends
every house be tested. If a test was already done, make sure
it was recent and that the home has not been renovated since
the test. If in doubt, get a new test.
The EPA
has designated 4 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) as the
level at which to take action. About 40% of metro area homes
have radon levels above 4 pCi/L.
At HomeWright, we are certified and trained in the proper
placement and handling of testing devices. We can perform
a radon test as part of a home inspection or as a stand-alone
test. Test devices must be in place for a minimum of 48 hours,
after which the testing devices will be retrieved and brought
to our EPA approved lab for analysis. Test Results will be
available the day of retrieval.
If you're
a smoker, your lung cancer risk from smoking multiplies with
the cancer risk from radon. Smokers should always have a radon
test done when purchasing a home.
Radon
gas is created when uranium in the soil decays. The gas then
seeps into a home throughfoundation cracks, block walls, pipe
penetrations, drains, sump baskets, or any other unsealed
area. The gas collects in basements and other low-lying, unventilated
areas.
Any home
may have a radon problem. This means new and old homes, well-sealed
and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. Studies
show that a home's tightness, foundation type, and soil type
have no predictable effect on radon levels. Homes next door
to each other can have different radon levels. The only way
to find levels for a specific home is to test.
The following
chart shows estimated deaths per year from radon compared
to drunk driving, falls in the home, and other causes:
* Radon
is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per
year, according to EPA's 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon
in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003). The numbers of deaths from other
causes are taken from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention's 1999-2001 National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control Report and 2002 National Safety Council Reports.
For an
EPA map of radon in Maryland, click here.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/zonemap/maryland.htm
For an
EPA map of radon in Virginia, click here.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon/zonemap/virginia.htm
To schedule
a Radon test or for more information, please call our office
at 301-482-1138 or email us at homewrightinspections@comcast.net
Please
visit the Environmental Protection Agency's web site for more
information on the dangers of Radon. http://www.epa.gov/radon/
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