Radon

[colporteur]

Has anyone done research on radon gas. Heath departments conclusive that radon gas causes cancer. However, they say that some people are not affected by it. The thought is that those with a healthy immune systems are not affected.

I have read  research by Forensic  scientists who say that the radon gas scare is on the order of the Zika virus scare. They claim that there is no credible statics that indicate radon gas is a problem. They also claim that if it is a problem the research regarding how much of it is a problem is very flawed. They also say that the testing is also very speculative at best.

Some would say that there is lung cancer in those who have never smoked. This is true, however ... does that prove that it is radon that caused the cancer ? Does that prove that it was necessarily something that was inhaled that caused the cancer ?  After all, there are those with liver issues who have never drank alcohol. There are those with eyes problems who have not abused their eyes but are diabetic.

Where I live there is a fair amount of radon gas coming up through the shale. No doubt lung cancer is high here. However, this state is the second highest in the US in terms of smoking. That means that there is a lot of second hand smoke as well.
It costs ball park $1100 to install  a radon mitigation system in the average house and about $150 to have radon tested by professionals. It is becoming almost common place in some areas of the country to build houses with radon mitigation systems. If it is necessary it is necessary but what if it is not ? Some would say, better safe than sorry. That makes sense but it would be nice to know if this is another hoax, so to speak.

The following is one of a number of sites that claim the radon data is very flawed.

http://www.forensic-applications.com/radon/radon.html

[JimB]

Cp, several years ago we tested our house and it scored just a hair beyond the then considered maximum safe level so we did nothing about it. I am not worried because I probably only spend at most 20 minutes a week in the basement. Is it a hoax? $1100 is a chunk of change to drop if you don't believe it's a problem.

However, what I do know is that the whole earth is suffering under the curse of sin so it would not surprise me if indeed it truly is a danger. I do believe there is something going on though. Over the years I've noticed that anything that is white plastic turns color over a period of time in my basement and this includes the hard plastic on the washer & dryer. However, I honestly have no idea if that is because of the radon or not. It's just odd. In the end the $1100 for a mitigation system might help some people sleep easier at night and might even help sell the house when it's time.

[colporteur]

I think what is wise when one buys a house is to have the sale contingent on acceptable radon levels. That way if it turns out that radon is above the .4 level one can require the owner to either pay for a system or drop the agreed upon price by that amount. If one is not concerned about the radon in the house he need not purchase a system. However, when he sells the house the new buyer may insist that the seller mitigate the radon. At that time at least the owner has been paid for the system and will not take the loss when selling the house. This is what we have done. I'm thinking at this point we will not install a system.

One of the ways the evaluation is skewed ( I read) is that they consider that the home occupant will be in the home 24/7. This is not even close to accurate unless you are a shut in. The stats stating what they think the risks are seem to be wild guesses and even where radon is exceedingly high the chances of developing lung cancer are still pretty low. One stat even claims that higher than acceptable levels of radon equate with lower levels of lung cancer than where there is low levels. Very hard to nail down accurate information. What carries a lot of weight with me is when State Health Departments admit that the information is sketchy and also that some people apparently are not affected by high radon.

Seems like so much depends on our health. I notice where I live that now they have disinfected cloth wipes to wipe off your shopping cart handle as well as towels to wipe off exercise equipment before you begin using it. Maybe that is wise but I am still a bit old school. Get your hands and feet in the dirt and get exposed and immunized rather than attempting to live in a glass bubble. I know of people who think germs are out to get them at every opportunity. That may be but phobias and hysteria cause one to live in fear of every door knob. Maybe I'm stubborn but I guess if I die of the flu at some point that's one less person breathing germs into the air and I would not have to worry about anymore door knobs. 

[Richard Myers]

It would be good to walk in the light we have been given. Then, most likely, unless the gas is especially high, there would be no problem. Any gas would cause a problem if there were not good air circulation with a lot of fresh air coming into the home. 6-8 hours of sleep without the windows open is going to cause of problem for many no matter what the radon level is.

[colporteur]

It would be good to walk in the light we have been given. Then, most likely, unless the gas is especially high, there would be no problem. Any gas would cause a problem if there were not good air circulation with a lot of fresh air coming into the home. 6-8 hours of sleep without the windows open is going to cause of problem for many no matter what the radon level is.

good point