Date Published: 01/23/2020 [Source]
Livingston County health officials released new maps charting estimated radon levels in the county's 16 townships, two cities and two villages.
About 40% of homes in Livingston County have elevated levels of radon, according to a study by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Bolang warned that residents living in areas of the maps indicating lower levels of radon should still get their homes tested. He said residents in areas where high levels of radon have been discovered in the past should prioritize getting their homes tested.
"I wouldn't use the maps as a tool to see whether you should test your home. The bottom line is we encourage everyone to test," Bolang said. "In areas shaded in green, it might be green because we might not have data points there."
"However, it doesn't mean your house is going to have high levels. It can vary from neighbor to neighbor," he said.
County health and local government officials are encouraging all residents to test their homes for radon during the winter, when people generally keep their windows closed.
Radon gas enters homes through basements and foundations and can accumulate during months when homes are less ventilated.
Bolang said the more people who test for radon, the more accurate the county's estimates will be.
The EPA recommends that houses with radon levels of 4 picocuries per liter or more of radon should be fixed to prevent accumulation of the gas indoors.
"Above a 4, the EPA recommends installing mitigation systems," Bolang saiad. "It generally involves rerouting air that would normally come through the foundation and reroute it outside."
Mitigation can involve installing ventilation systems to draw the radon gas out of homes.
"Air in the soils also come up through sump pumps," Bolang said, adding those can be sealed. "If it is close (to 4 picocuries per liter), retesting is encouraged,"
Bolang said thousands of plot points were used by the county's GIS Department to create the maps. Test results taken with radon test kits residents obtained from the county are shared with the health department.
While the county does not share specific addresses where testing has occurred, the maps show "swaths" of data, he said.
Bolang said local government officials are encouraged to consider ways the maps could be used as planning tools.
"If you are in a certain township and have a proposed subdivision, for example, that could have higher radon levels, should there be a way to build homes so that future residents aren't exposed to that?" he said.
He said local municipalities could "suggest (developers test sites), require certain construction requirements or change ordinances, but we haven't gotten there yet. It's an idea.
"Radon resistant new construction is something I've been trying to promote," he said. "It's not a requirement of the building code (in Livingston County), but it is in some other counties."
Brighton Township Manager Brian Vick said the county supplied the township with a map Friday. The township made it available on its website.
"Exactly how that tool will be used in planning will be determined," Vick said. "We'll be making that map available to decision makers as we do master planning."
Vick said the first step is to let residents know where they are within the map and encourage them to test for radon.
"It's the front end of the conversation (regarding planning)," he said. "Is there something the township needs to be doing in the future? We'll see. I think that's great and I'd like to follow up and see what (Bolang's) opinions are on that, if townships should institute requirements and ordinances, what tangible things we could do."
Genoa Township Manager Mike Archinal said the township has copies of their map available at the township hall.
"In terms of planning, it's a tool. Homeowners building homes can consider radon-resistant construction, so you can just put it right in from the start," Archinal said.
He said the township doesn't have any statutory requirements regarding radon, and he appreciates Bolang's offer of guidance to look at options.
"Right now, it's just information and education to inform residents there may be an elevated risk," he said.
Facts about radon from health officials Health officials say elevated levels of radon inside homes pose a health risk to millions of Americans.
"Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States," according to a release from the health department. "The EPA estimates that approximately 21,100 lung cancer deaths each year are radon-related."
One in eight Michigan homes is likely to have an elevated radon level.
Radon comes from the natural, radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon enters buildings through openings in the foundation floor or walls (sump openings, crawlspaces, floor/wall joints, cracks, etc.).
Radon can become trapped in buildings and lead to elevated and harmful radon levels.
Radon is tasteless, odorless and colorless, and it has no warning symptoms.
Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk for health issues caused by radon.
Thousands of people picked up free radon test kits after the county's health department announced they would be available during the month of January.
The health department quickly ran out of free short-term radon test kits.
Bolang said he expects to get more test kits by mid-February, which will cost $5 each.
Limited quantities of free test kits were made available at city, village and township offices in the county. Some may still have free kits on hand, but residents are advised to call in advance.
Health officials recommended, as an alternative, residents can purchase kits starting at $9.95 through www.mi.radon.com.