Environmental health concepts and applications

Nursing

Environmental Health

Environmental Hazard

Radon is an odorless, tasteless and invisible gas formed by the break down of naturally occurring uranium in soil and water. Radon is an arrangement of ionizing radiation and a confirmed carcinogen. Lung cancer is the only known effect on human health from exposure to radon in air. Thus far, there is no evidence that children are at greater risk of lung cancer than are adults, but some believe that this is the case. Radon is everywhere in the air. Radon is found in outdoor air and in the indoor air of buildings of all kinds. The EPA recommends homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L (pico Curies per Liter) or more. Because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, the EPA also recommends that people consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average radon concentration in the indoor air of America's homes is about 1.3 pCi/L. It is upon this level that the EPA bases its estimate of 20,000 radon-related lung cancers a year upon. It is for this reason that EPA recommends that Americans consider fixing their homes when the radon level is between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. The average concentration of radon in outdoor air is .4 pCi/L or 1/10th of EPA's 4 pCi/L action level (Health Risks, 2011).

Radon is a highly radioactive, colorless and chemically un-reactive inert gas. It is the heaviest known gas and is nine times denser than air. For the reason that it is a single atom gas it easily infiltrates many ordinary materials like paper, leather, low density plastic, most paints, and building materials like sheetrock, concrete block, mortar, tarpaper, wood paneling, and most insulation. Radon is also quite soluble in water and organic solvents. Even though reaction with other compounds is relatively rare, it is not totally inert and sometimes forms stable molecules with highly electronegative properties (Radon Fact Sheet, 2009).

Radon is not formed as a commercial product. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and comes from the natural breakdown of uranium. It is usually found in igneous rock and soil, but in some cases, may also be found in well water. The primary paths of possible human exposure to radon are inhalation and ingestion. Radon in the ground, groundwater, or building materials enters working and living spaces and breaks up into its decay products. Even though high concentrations of radon in groundwater may add to radon exposure through ingestion, the inhalation of radon released from water is more important (Radon Fact Sheet, 2009).

Adverse Health Outcomes

2. Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths every year. That's because when a person breathes air containing radon, they can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in a person's lungs when they breathe. As they break down further, these particles discharge small bursts of energy. This can injure lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of ones lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer. And the amount of time between exposure and the beginning of the disease may be many years. Like other environmental pollutants, there is some ambiguity about the magnitude of radon health risks. However, more is known about radon risks than risks from most other cancer-causing substances. This is because estimates of radon risks are based on studies of cancer in humans. Smoking combined with radon is a particularly serious health risk. A person should stop smoking in order to lower their radon level their chances of getting lung cancer (A Citizen's Guide to Radon, 2010).

How Serious of a Health Threat

3. Tulsa County- The average indoor radon levels of Tulsa County is 1 pCi/L (Tulsa County Radon Information, n.d.).

Oklahoma -- The average indoor radon levels of Oklahoma is less than 2 pCi/L (EPA Map of Radon Zones, 2011).

United States -- The average national indoor radon level is 1.3 pCi/L (Tulsa County Radon Information, n.d.).

Internationally -- The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates radon outdoor levels to be between 5 and 15 Bq/m3. Indoor radon levels of 200 -- 400 Bq/m3 are usually used as reference level for mitigation (RADON - The Hidden Environmental Hazard, 2011).

The EPA recommends that homes be fixed if the radon level is 4 pCi/L because this is considered to be a very dangerous level. When looking at the above levels it appears that on average the radon levels are not at dangerous levels in any of the places looked at. There are though, many individual incidents where radon levels are high and thus harmful to those people who are exposed to them.

Control/Preventative Measures

4. There are several methods that a contractor can use to lower radon levels in a home. Some methods prevent radon from entering a home while others reduce radon levels after it has entered. The EPA normally recommends methods which prevent the entry of radon. Soil suction, for instance, prevents radon from entering a home by drawing the radon from below the home and venting it through a pipe, or pipes, to the air above the home where it is rapidly diluted. Any information that one may have about the construction of their home could help a contractor choose the best system. A contractor will perform a visual inspection of the home and design a system that considers specific features of the home. If this inspection fails to provide enough information, the contractor will need to perform diagnostic tests during the initial phase of the installation in order to help develop the best radon reduction system. A contractor can use chemical smoke in order to find the source and direction of air movement. A contractor can learn air flow sources and directions by watching a small amount of smoke that they have shot into holes, drains, sumps, or along cracks. The sources of air flow show possible radon routes. A contractor may have concerns about back drafting of combustion appliances when considering radon mitigation options, and may recommend that the homeowner have the appliances checked by a qualified inspector (Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction, 2011).

Another type of diagnostic test is a soil communication test. This test uses a vacuum cleaner and chemical smoke in order to determine how easily air can move from one point to another under the foundation. By inserting a vacuum cleaner hose in one small hole and using chemical smoke in a second small hole, a contractor can see if the smoke is pulled down into the second hole by the force of the vacuum cleaner's suction. Watching the smoke during a soil communication test helps a contractor decide if certain radon reduction systems would work well in a home. Whether diagnostic tests are needed is decided by details specific to a home, such as the foundation design, what kind of material is under the home, and by the contractor's experience with similar homes and similar radon test results (Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction, 2011).

Internet Site

5. The Radon Information Center. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.radon.com/

This is a very useful site. It has all the information about Radon that a person would need. There is a section on radon facts. This section contains a radon fact sheet and a radon FAQ. There is also an article about radon and cancer and an EPA slideshow. There is also a very good article about what the next steps are for someone who has found radon in their home.