Post by jonsdigs on Jan 28, 2009 19:02:55 GMT -5
Radon: Every homeowner should test
Decorah Newspapers (IA)
By Sarah Strandberg
1/28/09
Iowa is a state of abundance - from corn to livestock, and, we like to think, above-average kids.
It also has an abundance of an odorless, colorless gas called radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
"Iowa has the distinction of being the one state out of the 50 states in which every house should be tested (for radon), without fail. The only way to know how much radon you have is to test," said Brett Mumford, a registered nurse with the Winneshiek County Public Health Nursing Service known to many as "The Radon Guy."
January is Radon Action Month in Iowa and the time when Mumford makes an extra effort to educate the public about radon, how to test for it and how to mitigate any problems if results indicate it's present at a higher level than recommended.
"A level of four pico Curie per liter (pCi/L) is equivalent to the impact of smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day and an eight pCi/L is equivalent to a full pack, and on up the scale," he said.
A pCi/L is a unit of radioactivity corresponding to one decay every 27 seconds in a volume of one liter, or 0.037 decays per second in every liter of air.
Exposure to radon is responsible for more than 200 deaths per year in Iowa and 21,000 nationwide, according to Mumford.
He sells radon-testing kits through Winneshiek Public Health, and is aware of many houses in the county with levels of 10 and above. He has heard of houses in Winneshiek County with levels in excess of 100.
Although some parts of the state are worse for the prevalence of radon, Mumford said Winneshiek County's limestone karst topography "doesn't help us any."
Full Story
I don't think they have their science straight and are selling papers with fear. -JB
Decorah Newspapers (IA)
By Sarah Strandberg
1/28/09
Iowa is a state of abundance - from corn to livestock, and, we like to think, above-average kids.
It also has an abundance of an odorless, colorless gas called radon, which is the second leading cause of lung cancer.
"Iowa has the distinction of being the one state out of the 50 states in which every house should be tested (for radon), without fail. The only way to know how much radon you have is to test," said Brett Mumford, a registered nurse with the Winneshiek County Public Health Nursing Service known to many as "The Radon Guy."
January is Radon Action Month in Iowa and the time when Mumford makes an extra effort to educate the public about radon, how to test for it and how to mitigate any problems if results indicate it's present at a higher level than recommended.
"A level of four pico Curie per liter (pCi/L) is equivalent to the impact of smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day and an eight pCi/L is equivalent to a full pack, and on up the scale," he said.
A pCi/L is a unit of radioactivity corresponding to one decay every 27 seconds in a volume of one liter, or 0.037 decays per second in every liter of air.
Exposure to radon is responsible for more than 200 deaths per year in Iowa and 21,000 nationwide, according to Mumford.
He sells radon-testing kits through Winneshiek Public Health, and is aware of many houses in the county with levels of 10 and above. He has heard of houses in Winneshiek County with levels in excess of 100.
Although some parts of the state are worse for the prevalence of radon, Mumford said Winneshiek County's limestone karst topography "doesn't help us any."
Full Story
I don't think they have their science straight and are selling papers with fear. -JB
That's the silliest idea I ever heard. Fans yes. Limit basement air circulation-- noooo. And the deal with the wood stoves-- adding ventilation to wood stoves by this method to reduce negative draft defeats the EPA approved 'reburner' technology in a modern wood stove.