Connie B Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 http://www.rentedspaces.com/2009/09/18/ ... don-gas%2F Are you being poisoned by radon gas? Take a drag and inhale the news ... starting in 2012 Maine will be the first state to require that landlords test for radon, a dangerous gas that causes lung cancer. The hotly contested law was passed earlier this summer. If you've ever given up smoking you know it sucks: you gain weight, you get cranky, and suddenly you can't imagine yourself as star of a Fellini film anymore. After all the suffering required to give up the smokes it'd be a real kick to your newly-whitened teeth if your apartment gives you lung cancer. Let's hope the landlord-testing requirement becomes a national trend. After all, it's a lot healthier for everyone. So if cigarettes are evil, what's the deal with radon? Radon gas is an odorless, radioactive gas created by the decay of uranium in water, soil or rock. Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking. It naturally occurs in every state and poses significant cancer risk, particularly if you are a current or former smoker. Radon gas poisons old buildings as well as brand-new construction. Some have even feared that their granite counter tops were off-gassing radon. Any apartment can be at risk. Here's a checklist, courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency, to determine if you have a radon problem in your apartment and what to do about it. •Find out whether the building you live in has been tested for radon. •If your building has not been tested for radon, ask the building owner or landlord to test, or test your own apartment or rental house. •Follow the instructions included in your radon test kit. If your short-term test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, EPA recommends doing a follow-up test. •If your test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, notify the building owner of the test results in writing. Discuss with the owner the need for additional testing and radon reduction repairs. •If you have high radon levels or if you need additional information and assistance about radon testing and radon repairs, contact your state radon office, the National Radon Helpline or other organizations that work on radon or housing issues. Click here to read the EPA's report, A Radon Guide for Tenants. P.S. Hard as it is, quitting smoking is totally worth it. You can still keep the stiff martini and the hot clothes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patti B Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Good article Connie - thanks for posting. I have always heard that Ohio is a "radon state". Our first house was very old and I worry if there was radon leaching up from the basement. Bad enough we found asbestos in it. Hugs - Patti B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick C Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 Major radon in the house I grew up in (and the house my mom lived in from the time she was 3 until she was 54 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geri Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 We did the test in the house we moved into 2+ years ago. There were low levels but the house was already 'roughed in' for an extractor system. With my medical history we decided that it was worth the money to have the system finished. We may have over-reacted for the levels that were there but it was the old safe not sorry story. The house is also wired for and ready for a generator but we've not gone there yet............maybe the next ice storm will persuade us on that one Geri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
albertstanley Posted May 26, 2019 Share Posted May 26, 2019 On 9/22/2009 at 6:36 AM, Connie B said: http://www.rentedspaces.com/2009/09/18/ ... don-gas%2F Are you being poisoned by radon gas? Take a drag and inhale the news ... starting in 2012 Maine will be the first state to require that landlords test for radon, a dangerous gas that causes lung cancer. The hotly contested law was passed earlier this summer. If you've ever given up smoking you know it sucks: you gain weight, you get cranky, and suddenly you can't imagine yourself as star of a Fellini film anymore. After all the suffering required to give up the smokes it'd be a real kick to your newly-whitened teeth if your apartment gives you lung cancer. Let's hope the landlord-testing requirement becomes a national trend. After all, it's a lot healthier for everyone. So if cigarettes are evil, what's the deal with radon? Radon gas is an odorless, radioactive gas created by the decay of uranium in water, soil or rock. Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking. It naturally occurs in every state and poses significant cancer risk, particularly if you are a current or former smoker. Radon gas poisons old buildings as well as brand-new construction. Some have even feared that their granite counter tops were off-gassing radon. Any apartment can be at risk. Detailed information on radon and its risks, including information on how to get your home or workplace tested, is available on the top best radon mitigation fan Here's a checklist, courtesy of the Environmental Protection Agency, to determine if you have a radon problem in your apartment and what to do about it. •Find out whether the building you live in has been tested for radon. •If your bu ilding has not been tested for radon, ask the building owner or landlord to test, or test your own apartment or rental house. •Follow the instructions included in your radon test kit. If your short-term test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, EPA recommends doing a follow-up test. •If your test shows radon levels above 4 pCi/L, notify the building owner of the test results in writing. Discuss with the owner the need for additional testing and radon reduction repairs. •If you have high radon levels or if you need additional information and assistance about radon testing and radon repairs, contact your state radon office, the National Radon Helpline or other organizations that work on radon or housing issues. Click here to read the EPA's report, A Radon Guide for Tenants. P.S. Hard as it is, quitting smoking is totally worth it. You can still keep the stiff martini and the hot clothes. Many people are aware of the cancer causing gas, radon. However, the chances of them having their homes tested for it are low, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has warned. Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in all rocks and soils, is classified as a class A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. When it surfaces in the open air, it is quickly diluted to harmless concentrations. However when it enters an enclosed space such as a house, it can sometimes build up to high concentrations, leading to an 'unacceptable health risk'. After smoking, long-term exposure to radon gas in the home is the greatest single cause of lung cancer in Ireland. The gas is linked to up to 200 cancer deaths here every year. According to new research carried out on behalf of the RPII, 77% of people are aware of radon gas, while 56% perceive it to be a health risk if present in the home. However among those aware of radon, 61% said they are unlikely to have their homes tested. "This research is very encouraging in terms of awareness, but the large percentage of people who said they were unlikely to take the radon test is of concern. Understandably, people think their homes are safe, yet we know that there are at least 91,000 homes across the country with high levels of radon. "In real terms, this means that if people don't take the test, they could unwittingly continue to be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation in their homes," explained RPII senior scientist, David Fenton. He emphasised that exposure to high levels of radon in the home can lead to lung cancer and the only way to find out the level of the gas present is to take the radon test. "If high levels are found, it is straightforward to reduce them. I would urge people to protect themselves by taking the radon test," Mr Fenton said. The research was released by the RPII at its National Radon Forum in Cork yesterday. The forum also heard how Cork County Council had tested over 4,500 homes, including all of its social housing stock in high radon areas, for the deadly gas. That survey identified over 200 homes with high levels of the gas and works have been undertaken to reduce the levels present. The survey also confirmed that parts of Cork, especially north Cork, have a particular problem with radon. "Cork County Council is the first local authority to undertake such a comprehensive radon testing and remediation programme. In doing so, it has ensured that the risk to its tenants from high radon levels has been eliminated. The council has effectively drawn the roadmap for measuring social housing stocks that other local authorities can follow," Mr Fenton said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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