Radon was first discovered in 1899 by Pierre and Marie Curie, and is naturally produced by the decay of uranium & radium. Uranium has been part of our world since the earth was formed.
Radon is a difficult study. So here we are to-day with a colourless, odourless, naturally produced radioactive gas that if allowed to build high concentrations in our environments can cause lung cancer. And it’s not going away!
Radon is measured in Picocuries per litre (pCi/L) and presents no danger to life or tissue @ 0.35pCi/L. But when trapped in a building, levels as high as 20.0 pCi/L can occur and the constant bombardment of healthy tissue by the alpha particles of radon can cause the cells to mutate into a cancerous state.
Radon occurs all over North America from the coal mines of the eastern U.S. to the Canadian Shield, from the coal producing Canadian Provinces to the areas of bed rock where uranium sits and decays. Radon usually dissipates harmlessly into the atmosphere but can also “migrate” below the earth’s surface and find its way into buildings via cracked foundations, open sump pits, foundation joints, poor seals, etc. Oddly enough — control of radon gas in an internal environment is simple. Ventilate. The most effective method is:
- to place a duct inlet below the foundation floor level of the building (seal the joint at the floor)
- Lead the duct to the atmosphere and
- have an inline fan (Fantech FR110) that is energized 24/7, thus creating a negative pressure below the floor level & drawing off the gas before it can penetrate the cracks & joints.
One other method is to install an HRV (Fantech SHR/VHR) at a slight positive pressure imbalance thus creating a positive pressure with-in the building & “holding the gas back” so it cannot enter. Either way, sealing of all the building joints below grade is most important. Testing for Radon is a simple method and there is tons of information on the internet at www.radondetect.ca. This could be a huge opportunity to boost sales in a tough economy.