Radon in WNC: Know Your Risks
Are you or your family at risk from radon pollution? The answer might surprise you.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto
On July 14, 2023, the WNC Health Policy Initiative met with guest presenter Phillip Gibson, State Coordinator for the North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Radiation Protection Section/Radon Program, to discuss the importance of radon education, awareness, prevention, testing and mitigation. And we learned a few things that surprised even our team of health professionals!
Learn
Myth #1: Radon is only a problem for homes with basements.
Fact: Because there are multiple ways it can make its way into inhabited spaces, radon be present in a wide variety of structure types, including:
mobile homes
homes without basements
multi-story apartment buildings
and many other places you or your family might spend a lot of time in, such as schools and daycares, office buildings, medical facilities, or private businesses.
Myth #2: Radon isn’t a problem if your home’s substructure is well-ventilated.
Fact: Radon can also enter homes and buildings via private well water, where it can be ingested or inhaled via dispersal into the air from showers, faucets, washing machines and other inlets. (Note: Municipal water treatment processes naturally disperse any radon present via aeration.)
Myth #3: Radon is only a problem in areas with naturally-occurring uranium in the ground.
Fact: Building materials such as stone and concrete quarried from uranium-containing locations are another potential source of radon pollution. So even in regions with low levels of radon-producing rock and soil, or in high-rise buildings that would normally be isolated from the ground, radon exposure can still be a potential risk in buildings constructed from those materials.
Myth #4: There are laws and regulations are in place to inform and protect the public from radon exposure in public spaces or when buying a new home.
Fact: North Carolina has no laws, rules or regulations regarding radon testing or mitigation. And while the NC Real Estate Commission does require licensed brokers to disclose the presence of dangerous levels of radon or radon mitigation systems in a building if they are aware of that information, sellers are NOT required to disclose that information to their brokers.
Know Your Risks
Health risks:
Radon inhalation is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer in the US, and second only to cigarette smoking.
Radon ingested via private well water has been linked to an increased risk of stomach cancer.
Influences on the health risks of radon exposure:
Exposure: The higher the level of radon present, and the longer you’ve been exposed to it, the higher your level of risk.
Smoking: Anyone who has ever smoked 100 or more cigarettes during lifetime has a 10x higher risk of radon-caused lung cancer than nonsmokers.
Age: Children are 2x more susceptible to radon-induced lung cancer than adults.
Structures at risk of radon pollution include:
Any building with an unventilated basement, foundation, crawl space or below-ground space (such as a garage).
Structures built on top of a contaminated, porous or cracked concrete slab.
Mobile homes with unventilated skirting.
Buildings constructed from quarried materials (rocks, concrete, etc.) sourced from areas where radon is prevalent.
Structures served by private well water.
Radon prevalence:
1 in 15 homes in the US has elevated radon levels.
77 out of 100 counties in NC have had test results showing radon present at dangerous levels.
The highest levels of radon are found in western and central North Carolina, with lower levels in eastern part of the state.
Act
Steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:
Visit the NC Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Radon Program information page and Radon Resources and Brochures library to learn more about radon and find the information you need to understand your risk and make informed decisions.
Test your home, and advocate for testing in the schools, daycares, businesses and other places you and your family spend a lot of time in.
Engage
There is currently a bill before the North Carolina General Assembly that could affect your exposure to radon:
SB 696 - Protect NC Citizens from Radon: Sen. Julie Mayfield and colleagues have introduced a bill to North Carolina lawmakers that would create standards for radon testing and mitigation systems in the state building code, would create testing and reporting requirements for radon gas inside buildings, and create a map of radon mitigation systems installed in the state. Click the link above to learn more about the bill.
Connect with your elected leaders to express your views at the links below:
