DEAR DR. GOTT: After 14 years of using our finished basement rec room on a daily basis, I have discovered the presence of radon gas. The level ranges between 6 and 7. To disassemble the room is far too costly on our retirement income. Recent lung X-rays are OK, so what is our risk of cancer after all these years of daily exposure?
DEAR READER: Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium. It is found in almost all soils and permeates the air we breathe. It moves through the ground and into buildings and water supplies through cracks or holes in foundations and solid floors, through gaps in suspended flooring, around service pipes and through walls. It can enter through well water. Once inside a building, the radon is trapped and builds up to unhealthy levels. It can be found in schools, offices, homes and public buildings. Radon can’t be seen, tasted or smelled, yet reports indicate it causes lung cancer, killing thousands of people every year.
Radon in the air is measured in picocuries per liter (pCi/L) of air. While ANY amount of this radioactive gas is bad, the average level in homes across the United States is 1.3 and 0.4 in outside air. Nearly one in every 15 homes in the United States is estimated to have high levels. A level ranging from 6 to 7 definitely requires attention. To begin with, I wouldn’t take one sample test result as gospel. Have a second test to verify the accuracy of your first reading. Then have your water tested. Radon isn’t generally a problem when the source is surface water. The problems result when the source is groundwater or generates through a public water supply that uses groundwater.
There are several methods you can use to reduce the radon levels in your home that shouldn’t break the bank. You can perform a short-term home test by yourself that takes up to three days to perform. Long-term testing can last more than 90 days. Some methods can reduce levels by up to 99 percent, with extremely high levels being brought down to an acceptable range. If you performed one short-term test, I recommend you follow up with either another one or change to a long-term test for verification. The most common one is known as soil-suction radon reduction, which uses a fan-and-vent pipe system to pull radon from beneath your rec room and vent it outside. Even houses with crawl spaces should benefit from this process. By sealing visible cracks and openings around entrance pipes, greater reductions will be realized. One plus is that there will be no major changes or construction costs involved. Check with your local or state offices for the names of certified contractors who can provide good advice and direction if you prefer to take that route.
And now, on to the main issue — your risk after all these years. I find it hard to believe that you would or could simply stay away from a room you have obviously enjoyed for 14 years. You have already had a chest X-ray that failed to reveal any questionable areas. That’s a good thing. But, because of potential dangers, I recommend you make an appointment with an oncologist for his or her opinion.
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