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Did SOMEONE cover

Radon at Work

Not just be January is RADON AWARENESS MONTH IN NORTH AMERICA!

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Radon Hazards

– Lung cancer or death can occur

– Be sure to test your Home/Business/Business

– If high levels are detected, act promptly

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What is Radon?Radon• A naturally occurring, radioactive gas released from rock,

soil, and water• Can accumulate to dangerous levels inside buildings• We can’t see, smell, or taste radon• Can be a problem in any Home/Business/Business,

school, or building across the country

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January is National Radon Action MonthWho should participate? • Individuals, groups, and organizations concerned about

lung cancer and public healthWhat is the goal? • Increase public awareness of radon, promote radon

testing and mitigation, and advance the use of radon-resistant new construction practices.

• Ultimately save lives from radon-induced lung cancer

Now is the perfect time to get involved!

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What is Radon?

• A naturally occurring radioactive gas.• Colorless, odorless and tasteless.• Found all over the North America in all types

of buildings.

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When atoms of uranium-238 decay, they produce several generations of other radioactive elements. The fifth generation

is radium, which in turn decays into radon.

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How Radon Gets into a Home/Business/Business

• The slightest fissure in surrounding rock is enough to allow radon gas to be released. It can percolate through the solid and move to the surface. Radon moves more readily through permeable soils, such as coarse sand and gravel, than through impermeable soils, such as clay. So Home/Business/Business built on highly permeable soils and bedrock are more likely to have higher levels of radon.

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How Radon Gets into a Home/Business/Business

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What are the Health Effects?

• Breathing air with elevated radon levels can increase your risk of lung cancer.

• Chances of getting lung cancer depends on:– How much radon is in your Home/Business– The amount of time you spend in your

Home/Business– Whether you are a smoker or former smoker

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How Radon Causes Lung Cancer

• Inhalation of Radon decay products (alpha particles).

• Alpha particles can penetrate the more sensitive and vulnerable lung tissue.

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How Do I Find Out If My Home/Business/Business Has Radon?

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Can’t I Just Seal Cracks in the Floor or Open Windows?

• Sealing visible cracks is a basic part of most radon mitigation approached, but sealing alone is NOT enough.

• Opening doors and windows to dilute the radon may sometimes be effective, but it is NOT a practical long-term solution.

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Radon decayNatural radioactivity (half-life)

in the grounduranium-238 radium-226 4.5 billion years 1600 years

radon-222 gas has time to leak into the air almost 4 days

lead-210 lead-206 22 years stable

radon progeny (daughters)radioactive isotopes of lead, bismuth, and polonium can be inhaled and deposited in the lungs

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RADON GETS IN THROUGH:

1. Cracks in solid floors 2. Construction joints 3. Cracks in walls 4. Gaps in suspended floors 5. Gaps around service pipes 6. Cavities inside walls 7. The water supply8. Floor drains

BUT DOESN’T GET OUTof tightly sealed Home/Businesss

SourcesSoilGroundwaterStone building materials

Sinks (for Rn and progeny)VentilationPlate out (as vapor)Deposition (as particulate matter)

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Helium nucleus Fast electron

“Light”

Tissue penetration (1 MeV)

10 µm

0.5 cm

1 m

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Tissue damage and repair ↔ illness → deathCell death and replacement ↔ illness → deathDisruption of DNA replication → mutation/birth defectsErrors in cell repair/replacement → cancer

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A Soup of Radioactivity Units

(Ci)Becquerel (Bq) = 27 pCi 1 decay per second

Roentgen Absorption Dose

Gray (Gy) = 100 rad 1 Gy = 1 joule/kg

Roentgen Equivalent Man (or Mammal)

Sievert (Sv) = 100 rem

ROENTGEN Unit of Ionizing = charge created = 1 statcoul/cm3

Ability in Air in a volume of air

alpha particles are more dangerous than beta particles

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Unit risk (nonsmoker): 1.8 x 10-2 (pCi/L)-1 [8 x higher for smoker] 1 pCi = 2.2 decays/min = 17,600 Rn atoms1 pCi/L Rn = 1.9 mSv/yr

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Indoor air quality issues: foam blowing insulation, household products, carbon monoxide, molds, vapors from glues and finishes in construction/furniture/fabrics, etc., etc., etc.

With more tightly constructed Home/Businesss, indoor air pollutants are trapped inside

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RADON GAS MEASUREMENT METHODSActivated Charcoal Adsorption

Radon is absorbed into a charcoal canisterShort-term detector (equilibration over 2-7 days)Laboratory analysis by scintillation (gamma-ray)

Alpha Track DetectionA plastic film is exposed (1 to 12 months)Alpha particles from radon decay produce damage tracksNumber of damage tracks determined Integrating detector

Continuous Radon Monitoring (Scintillation counter)Radon decay event causes electric current pulse in deviceReal-time detectorSignal can be electronically integrated (pulse counting)

Electret Ion Chamber (Electrostatically charged disk detector)Radon decay ionizes airAir conductivity increases, reducing voltage across chamberReal-time detectorSignal can be electronically integrated

National Radon Safety Board

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Gas Permeable LayerThis layer is placed beneath the slab or flooring system to allow the soil gas to move freely underneath the house. In many cases, the material used is a 4-inch layer of clean gravel. This gas-permeable layer is used only in Home/Businesss with casement and slab-on-grade foundations; it is not used in Home/Businesss with crawlspace foundations.

Plastic SheetingPlastic sheeting seams sealed is placed on top of the gas permeable layer and under the slab to help prevent the soil gas from entering the Home/Business. In crawlspaces, the sheeting is placed over the crawlspace floor.

Sealing and CaulkingAll below-grade openings in the concrete foundation floor are sealed to reduce soil gas entry into the Home/Business.

Vent PipeA 3- or 4-inch gas-tight or PVC pipe (or other gas-tight pipe) runs from the gas permeable layer through the house to the roof to safely vent radon and other soil gases above the house.

Junction BoxAn electrical junction box is included in the attic to make the wiring and installation of a vent fan easier. For example, you decide to activate the passive system because your test result showed an elevated radon level (4 pCi/L or more). A separate junction box is placed in the living space to power the vent fan alarm. An alarm is installed along the vent fan to indicate when the vent fan is not operating properly.

Radon-Resistant FeaturesThe techniques may vary for different foundations and site requirements, but the basic elements are:

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What is the solution?• Test your Home/Business or building for radon

– It’s the only way to know if you have a radon problem• You can fix a radon problem

– Most Home/Business can be fixed for about the same cost as other common Home/Business repairs

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Engage Different Stakeholders• State radon programs• Tribal Nations and

Pueblos• Government agencies• Non-profit organizations• Radon testers &

mitigators• Local businesses• Housing professionals • Health care professionals

• Human resources, environmental, and safety officers at work sites• Advocacy organizations concerned about cancer• Schools• Home/Businessowners’ associations• Other community-based

groups interested in public health

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For More InformationSee the National Radon Action Month Web site and Event Planning Kit at: www.epa.gov/radon/nram

Together we can save lives from radon-induced lung cancer!

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http://www.radiationsafety.ca/about