Those who exercise in their homes, especially in a basement gym, raise their respiration rates by approximately 300 % and are breathing deeply. This substantially increases radon dangers, according to Radon Measurement & Elimination Services, a radon mitigation company based in Wisconsin.
Schwartz recommends testing your home for radon in the wintertime, because that ' s when“ your house is going to be sealed up, you ' re not going to have the back door open, any windows open, and you will be actively pulling the gas out of the ground.”
Levy said testing at least once a year or purchasing a continuous radon monitoring device are smart moves for anyone in western Pennsylvania, especially those who live near fracking operations.
“ The studies have shown that there is a statistically significant association between increased levels of radon exposure and communities that have Marcellus Shale drilling close by,” he said. The primary source of radon is from uranium in soils, groundwater and rocks, especially granite, shale and limestone— all of which are plentiful in the region.
And don’ t just test the air in your home: Well water can be a source of contamination too. Drinking the water is not the concern, Levy explained. Inhalation of the water vapor while showering is the real danger.
Bill Kail, co-owner of Home Radon Pros, explains how a newly installed radon mitigation system ventilates from the basement of a home in Stanton Heights.( Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette)