RADON ALERT FOR ELKHART COUNTY

• Radon is found at very low levels in outdoor air.
• It is found at higher levels in indoor air in homes, schools, and office buildings.
• Cracks in the basement or foundation of a home may allow higher levels of radon inside the home.
• Indoor radon levels are affected by the radium and uranium levels in soil, the porosity of the soil, the composition and condition of the foundation materials, and the ventilation rate of the room.
• Radon is found in drinking water and may be higher in well water.

remedies:

Radon levels in a house can be reduced. This can be done by several methods, but one of the most widely used methods is the active sub-slab depressurization system. This technique will reroute the radon gas from the soil away from the house, by venting the soil gas from beneath the basement to a point above the roof. This technique is very effective.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE RADON IN MY HOME?

Long term measurements are the best way to know the annual average radon level in your home. While short term tests are useful for screening and for situations where results are needed quickly, a long term test will usually be a better indicator of the average radon level. This is because it will not be as greatly influenced by the diurnal and seasonal variations and will provide a true annual average.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ELKHART COUNTY IS IN THE RED ZONE ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

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Have you Tested Your Home In Elkhart County Indiana For Radon?

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You can't see radon. And you can't smell it or taste it. But it may be a problem in your home.

Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That's because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the united States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.

Radon can be found all over the United States. Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building-homes, offices and schools-and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.
Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

Radon-resistant construction techniques can be effective in preventing radon entry. When installed properly and completely, these simple and inexpensive techniques can help reduce indoor radon levels in homes. In addition, installing them at the time of construction makes it easier and less expensive to reduce radon levels further if these passive techniques don't reduce radon levels to below 4;Ci/L. Every new home should be tested after occupancy, even if it was built radon resistant. If radon levels are still in excess of 4 pCi/L, the passive system should be activated by having a qualified mitigator install a vent fan.