What is radon?

Radon is an odorless, colorless, tasteless radioactive gas that is released when uranium in rocks, soil and water decays. There are no warning signs of radon exposure. Present in very low concentrations in outdoor air, radon concentrates in buildings by entering through cracks in basement concrete, holes around pipes and conduit and/or air rising from crawlspaces. Although rare, well water can also be a source of indoor radon.

Radon in the northwest Oregon and southwest Washington areas is largely caused by the deposition of granites and other uranium and radium containing soils and rocks over 12,000 years ago during a series of floods. Known as the Missoula Floods, boulders and soils from Canada were deposited here during floods caused when glaciers blocking valleys in Montana broke, releasing huge quantities of water that had built up behind the great icy dams. The resulting flood scoured out the walls of the Columbia River gorge, flooded the Portland area under 400-feet of water, flooded the Willamette and Tualatin Valleys and deposited the soils and rocks we see today below 500-feet.

How dangerous is radon?

When inhaled, alpha particles from decaying radon can damage lung cells. According to the National Academy of Sciences, radon causes an estimated 15,000-22,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. By comparison, drunk driving is responsible for about 12,000 deaths per year. Pets can also be affected by high radon concentrations.

Is radon common in Oregon and southwest Washington?

High radon concentrations have been found in every neighborhood. However, homes in some areas have a much greater risk of having high radon levels. North and northeast Portland, Clark County Washington and west Salem, for example, are areas where nearly 50% of the homes tested have indoor radon concentrations exceed EPA’s recommended action level of 4 picoCuries per liter of air (pCi/L). The only way to know if you are being exposed to dangerous radon concentrations at home is to test your house. To view a Radon Risk Map of the Portland area click Here.

Are children more susceptible to radon?

Yes. Children are more sensitive to radon because their lungs are smaller and their respiratory rates are twice as high. Doctors say that, by the age of 10, a child receives twice the lung dose of an adult who’s been exposed to radon for the same length of time.

Should I test my home for radon?

The Surgeon General and EPA recommend that every home be tested for radon. Affordable and easy to do, radon testing can be done by a professional or homeowner. Short-term tests can be as brief as 2-days.

The quickest way to test is with short-term tests. Short-term tests remain in your home from two days to 90 days, depending on the device. There are two groups of devices which are more commonly used for short-term testing. The passive device group includes alpha track detectors, charcoal canisters, charcoal liquid scintillation detectors, and electret ion chambers. The active device group consists of different types of continuous monitors.

What about radon from my granite countertops?

To view a document from the "American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists" - AARST please click Here.

To view a letter from the "Health Physics Society" to the "New York Times" newspaper please click Here.

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