Date Published: 01/05/2020 [Source]
For two weeks straight, Stanley Watras set off the radiation alarms as he entered his workplace at the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania. Authorities at the plant were stunned to learn that the source of the radiation was astoundingly high levels of radon gas in the basement of the Watras family home and not from the nuclear plant itself. That was in 1984.
Since then, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Surgeon General have determined that exposure to radon gas is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
Radon, which has been found in all 50 states, is a naturally occurring radioactive gas released in rock, soil and water caused by the natural decay of uranium. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into homes through cracks and other holes in the foundation. It can also be introduced in small amounts through well water from private wells. The gas is released into the air when the water is used for showering and other household uses.
According to EPA's Map of Radon Zones, nearly three-quarters of New Mexico is considered to have "moderate" levels of radon emissions, while just under one-quarter of the state (seven counties in northern New Mexico to be exact) is coded as being at high risk of experiencing radon emissions. Doņa Ana County is designated as having moderate levels of radon emissions.
As part of the EPA's National Radon Action Month activities, homeowners and prospective purchasers are encouraged to test for radon by conducting an easy and inexpensive do-it-yourself test. The New Mexico Environmental Department has free radon test kits available for people who share their test results with the department and participate in a statewide radon survey.
If elevated radon levels are present, simple abatement solutions for the average home can be employed at a cost of about $800 to $2,500, with $1,200 being the nationwide average, according to the EPA. A popular remedy for preventing the gas from entering the home includes the sealing of cracks and other openings in foundations along with the utilization of a system with pipes and fans called "sub-slab depressurization." The remedy prevents radon from entering the house by rerouting to the outside atmosphere gasses that would normally radiate into the structure from beneath the slab.