‘Overwhelming’ response for radon testing after Lehi woman shares cancer diagnosis story

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‘Overwhelming’ response for radon testing after Lehi woman shares cancer diagnosis story

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Күн бұрын

Thousands of Utahns responded to a Lehi woman’s plea to test their homes for radon after she was diagnosed with stage-four non-smoking lung cancer.
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@benjaminmarney1863 Жыл бұрын

Hey guys, I'm a home inspector who does offer tests for radon and I'd like to add some information. Average radon levels here in the us are around 1.3 picocurries per liter (pCi/L). The EPA's actionable limit is 4.0 pCi/L. I know we're across the country, but here in Georgia we recommend continuous monitoring if high levels are observed. If the readings remain high we recommend mitigation systems. Radon levels can change over the course of the day or seasonally, it can be affected by weather like wind and most notably rain! So, with that said, radon has been around for as long as humans have been and it will continue to be long after we're gone. What has changed is how WELL homes are insulated. As radon works up from underground (remember, concrete slabs are still porous to particles!) those particles will get 'trapped' inside your home. We frequently see increased radon levels in the Winter because doors and windows are left closed. Rain will also DRASTICALLY increase radon levels. Simply put, radon is a gas from underground and when it rains the ground absorbs all the rain water and displaces gasses (including radon)! Most radon mitigation systems attempt to either access or install a vent tube below the foundation and cycle air through constantly. In a nutshell, this creates a low pressure area to draw in radon gas and dispel it to the exterior of the home. Once it's in the air it dissipates quickly... It's only a critical issue when it's 'trapped' in you home. Homes on slabs or basements are ON AVERAGE more at risk than homes with crawlspaces. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out even if I'm states away! I'll be happy to answer any questions! Find me on Facebook - Marney's Home Inspections in Athens Ga!

@ilovenoodles7483 Жыл бұрын

Well, thank you. Can you tell us how we would find radon reports from our local community? Like do we contact the county assessor's office how would find out?

@benjaminmarney1863 Жыл бұрын

@@ilovenoodles7483 Sure! You can actually find mail-in Radon test kits online. I'd recommend checking out Kansas State University's National Radon Program. They have short and long term test kits available for $20-30. You set the kits up then mail them off for lab results. Additionally, most home inspectors offer 48 hour radon testing services. On average a home inspector will charge $100-120 but results are available immediately. The next step beyond those options is buying a continuous monitor for your home. Radon levels can change dramatically over the course of a year. For example, at my home in Ga (with no mitigation system) the radon level changes from 0.5 to about 1.6 pCi/L on average. Hope that helps!

@TheSabresrock Жыл бұрын

My daughter just recently purchased a home and had a home inspection with the the radon testing. The levels came back extremely high . They asked the owner to put in the mitigation system. They accepted. If you are purchasing a home please consider adding the radon testing to the inspection. Or if you are a home owner consider having your home tested.

@Kaden970 Жыл бұрын

I tested my home and got my results yesterday. 1.9 pCi/L. Felt very blessed for that

@martinlutherkingjr.5582 11 ай бұрын

1.9 pci/l is still like smoking 4 cigarettes per day, every day. The EPA action level of 4.0 pci/l is way too high. It was created because they didn’t think many mitigation companies could fix it. If you can I would strongly suggest getting it to 1.0 or less. Outdoors it’s generally 0.4 on average in the US.

@jeromesbowellmovements100x2 2 ай бұрын

@@star999nine As per the linear no threshold model, 8-10 pci/L increases the risk of lung cancer as much as smoking 1 pack of cigarettes per day. So 2 pci/L equates to 4-5 cigarettes per day. How did you calculate there would be 100x more deaths from lung cancer in a scenario where the linear no threshold model isn’t valid compared to a scenario where it is valid? How do you know we wouldn’t just have 100x *less* radon induced lung cancer deaths (compared to today) if millions of people weren’t being exposed to 2.0 pci/L of radon? How do you know which lung cancer deaths are caused by radon vs smoking vs something else vs genes? Most people who smoke never get lung cancer so just because people are getting the equivalent of 4 cigarettes per day doesn’t mean they’re guaranteed lung cancer. Smoking creates other health problems besides lung cancer whereas radon is primarily lung cancer and to a lesser extent respiratory problems like asthma as well as thyroid cancer.

@AyakoTachi Жыл бұрын

I discovered levels of 40 pCi/L after seeing the original story on KSL. Got a mitigation system.

@unikornkontroller Жыл бұрын

While radon is indeed carcinogenic, you really need to be clear that short-term testing (even 1-2 months) isn't considered accurate. You really need to spend the money ($100 or so) on a digital radon tester. These will give you semi-real time results (averaging the past 24 hours) as well as a long-term average. You also should test constantly for 6-12 months to get a true sense of the radon threat in your home. I had levels slightly above the EPA's guidelines for a few days...then it dipped to well below...then it came back up...etc. Also, do your homework on what these levels means and how harmful they are. Statistically the lower levels more than likely aren't harming you. But when you get into the double digits you should have an action plan. Lastly, the claim that Radon is the #2 cause of lung cancer is dubious. True, the test for radon on miners showed a cause/effect relationship but these were done with sky-high levels of radon and most of the miner smoked. How can we claim radon is the #2 cause of cancer? Do we test every lung cancer victim's current and past homes for radon and come to that decision? I'm all for protecting my family but I don't want to be fear-mongered into doing it. Just do your due diligence.

@KeepingOnTheWatch 10 ай бұрын

Agreed! Very well-thought-out comment!

@jakobausterlitz8102 2 ай бұрын

I don't think that is dubious at all. In fact, I believe that other cancers, including hematologic cancers such as multiple myeloma are also caused by the radiation of radon gas.

@unikornkontroller 2 ай бұрын

@@jakobausterlitz8102 You’re missing the point. Yes it’s a carcinogen. But how do you tie the home (or homes) you’ve lived in to radon exposure and saying it causes lung cancer. If you aren’t testing every home the patient lived in at the exact moment in time (radon levels fluctuate) and charting how much time they spent in them, how do you make a correlation between the two?

@jakobausterlitz8102 2 ай бұрын

@unikornkontroller anyone with a lick of common sense knows that radiation causes cancer. The number of cancer(s) caused by radon are likely understated as very few people actually check the levels in their homes. In my neighborhood, radon levels are super high 7, 8, 9 or more. I've had 3 non-smoking neighbors next to me die of lung cancer over the last 5 years. Interestingly, my mother died of multiple myeloma after long-term exposure to radon. I have dysplastic gastric ulcers - could radon have contributed to the genetic changes? Certainly. Was radon the only cause for these people's cancer? Likely not, but you can be sure it contributed.

@unikornkontroller 2 ай бұрын

@@jakobausterlitz8102 But at that point you’re assuming and guessing. I want to see a direct correlation with data between the two (radon exposure in the home and cancer).

@IgobySensei Жыл бұрын

Sent mine off. I am willing to bet they will say the levels are high just so they get more $$$.

@Jokesonyou1776 Жыл бұрын

We got a wave radon detector and tested our home. It was 136

@KeepingOnTheWatch 10 ай бұрын

Based on your number it seems that you don’t reside in the U.S.. Just to be clear: was that 136 pCi/L or Bq/m3?

@Theone0611 Жыл бұрын

What kind of “fixing” do they do?

@Dontneedahandle0 Жыл бұрын

They put a raydon mitigation device in your basement. We have one. We live in NY and our levels were 14 at one point.

@LittleTFam Жыл бұрын

We just got it done. They drill a hole in the ground in the basement, and put a pipe in it that goes up and out through the ceiling. That way any radon coming out of the ground will naturally exit through that pipe rather than coming through cracks in the basement floor. (They sealed any existing cracks in the basement floor prior to installing the pipe too)

@dPachArt8 Жыл бұрын

I woul like alto know her vaccination states as this is causing a huge spike in a wide range of illness

@martinlutherkingjr.5582 11 ай бұрын

The causative effects of radon exposure on lung cancer on non-smokers is very well established. Not saying vaccines don’t have side effects but the probabilities of radon causing her lung cancer is extremely high. At 31 pci/L it was like she was smoking more than 3 packs of cigarettes every single day. Even the EPA action level of 4.0 is like smoking 8 cigarettes per day. It’s not at all safe.