Alabama Radon Education Program

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Alabama Radon Education Program
Building Radon Out Radon-Resistant New
Construction
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What is Radon?

• Radon is a radioactive gas
• Formed by natural decay of uranium, a common
  element present in soil and rock

• Radon is in the soil and air everywhere
• You cant see it, smell it, or taste it.
• Radon can be drawn into a building and accumulate
  to high levels.

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Is Radon a Health Risk?

• Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer
  after cigarette smoking.
• Radon is a Class A carcinogen
• Radon causes 15,000 to 22,000 radon-related lung
  cancer deaths per year

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Is Radon a Health Risk?

• As exposure to Radon increases, so does risk for
  lung cancer.
• There is NO SAFE LEVEL -- even levels below 4
  pCi/l pose some risk

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How Does Radon Enter a House?

• Uranium is present in the soil nearly everywhere
  in the U.S.

• An air pressure difference between the basement
  or crawlspace and the surrounding soil draws
  radon into the house

• The soil is permeable enough to allow radon to
  migrate into the home through the slab, basement
  or crawlspace

• All homes have radon entry pathways -- such as
  the basement through small holes, cracks,
  plumbing penetrations, or sumps

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How Does Air Pressure Affect Radon Entry?

• Air pressure in a house is generally lower than
  in the surrounding soil, particularly in the
  basement and foundation levels.

• This difference in pressure causes a house to act
  like a vacuum, drawing air containing radon and
  other soil gases in through foundation cracks and
  other openings.