When we think of dangers to our health, especially in the form of airborne dangers, a number of things spring to mind. For city-dwellers, the biggest issues would be smog and second-hand smoke, air pollution and carbon monoxide and dioxide released by countless vehicles and stagnant winds.
On the other hand, potent yet less ubiquitous threats are carcinogens, such as those released in the breaking of polystyrene, and airborne illnesses that evolve and grow stronger due to the nature of dense city populations.
But one thing few people think about are the threats that are found right in your own home. Even with a green-living approach, with recycling and proper air ventilation and a philosophy of zero-waste (and thus less potential for toxicity in the home), there is one threat that can slowly but surely make its way into your household, and you wouldn’t even know it unless you did the proper testing.
And that’s radon.
What Is Radon, and Why Should You Be Worried About It?
Radon is a natural gas, and it is produced underneath the earth’s surface when uranium decays. Depending on where you live, your exposure to radon may be high, or low. Radon as per the EPA causes 21,000 deaths a year in the form of lung cancer – more deaths than those caused by drunk driving.
Why is it dangerous? Because radon, an odorless, invisible gas, decays further into particles of lead – which is poison. The risk of lung cancer in cigarette users with a high concentration of radon is exponentially higher, making the danger even more critical for smokers, making radon mitigation services like SWAT an utter godsend.
Finding Radon
The only way to be safe from the threat is if you test your home – any home below the third floor should get tested for radon levels, to ensure that they are not at any level of concern.
