Gas spike: A Lehigh Valley home's radon level just set a PA record
Updated on November 18, 2016 at 3:19 PM Posted on November 17, 2016 at 3:54 PM
By Nick Falsone
For lehighvalleylive.com
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers an acceptable level of radon in a home to be under 4 picocuries per liter.
With this in mind, you neither need to be a scientist nor even know what constitutes a picocurie to come to the conclusion that a home with a radon level of 6,176 picocuries per liter should be concerning.
Not only is it concerning, it's a record in Pennsylvania. And it was detected just last month at a home in the Center Valley area of Lehigh County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The DEP on Thursday announced the record and used it to remind the state's residents that they should test their home for radon because it is present in every county from the Delaware River to the Ohio state line.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally through the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks; it can enter a home through cracks in the foundation or other openings, the DEP says.
But natural doesn't always translate into safe. Radon is a carcinogen that's considered a leading cause of lung cancer. About 20,000 lung cancer deaths a year are the result of radon exposure, according to the DEP.
A DEP spokeswoman on Thursday said the department does not give out more specific information on the location of homes where record levels of radon are detected.
It's not a surprise, however, that a home in Center Valley now has the unfortunate distinction of breaking the statewide record for radon.
In 2014, multiple Center Valley homes recorded radon levels well in excess of 1,000 picocuries per liter. Center Valley, located in Upper Saucon Township, sits atop the Reading Prong, a geological section of granite rock that historically has generated high levels of radon, according to the DEP.
Fortunately for homeowners, there's no need to move out. Radon mitigation systems can solve the problem. They are "essentially a pipe with a fan to suction the gas from the ground and discharge it above the roofline, where the radon is dispersed," the DEP says.
But testing is the only way to find out if such a system is needed. Most hardware stores sell home test kits for $20 to $30.
"We encourage people to buy a radon home test kit and take the steps necessary to protect themselves and their families," DEP Acting Secretary Patrick McDonnell says in a statement. "Fall and winter are an ideal time to test, because the gas becomes trapped inside when doors and windows are closed."
For more information, visit the DEP's website. And for those curious about what constitutes a picocurie, the National Radon Program Services explains it here. Nick Falsone may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @nickfalsone. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. (INDUSTRY NOTE: The EPA uses 4,0 pCi/L as an action level, the World Health Organization uses 2.7 pCi/L as a reference level, but ... there is no safe level)
HEAR MORE AT THE
AARST INTERNATIONAL RADON SYMPOSIUM