Radon Gas In Granite Homes

Any of these sources can release the deadly gas into your home where it is trapped and can build to dangerous levels.

Radon gas in granite homes.

Older homes are often built on a foundation made out of natural stones like granite limestone and other quarry rocks. The radon source you should be most wary of is the soil beneath your home. Radon is naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts. Outdoors radon disperses rapidly and generally is not a health issue.

Radon gas is created when certain rocks begin to decompose and erode. In a small number of homes the building materials e g granite and certain concrete products can give off radon although building materials rarely cause radon problems by themselves. It starts out as uranium a heavy metal found in the ground and most rocks on the planet. The epa says that approximately one of every 15 homes throughout the country whether new or old has elevated radon levels.

Causes of radon in your home. Radon that originates in the soil is the main cause of radon problems the epa says. Radon is a radioactive gas you can t see feel taste or smell. In the united states radon gas in soils is the principal source of elevated radon levels in homes.

Because of the way we heat and ventilate our homes some radon gets indoors through the floor. One such stone that has trace amounts of uranium is granite. 1 radon is a gas which can seep into our homes radon gas is created when natural radioactive uranium slowly decays in the ground under our homes and seeps to the surface. Some granite countertops have been found to give off trace amounts of radon and reporters cited a few kitchens with radon levels as high as 25 times the epa s safety limit of 4 picocuries per liter of.

Radon gas can damage cells in your lungs which can lead to cancer radon is responsible for about 21 000 lung cancer deaths each year in the united states though it usually takes 5 to 25 years to. The reports were about granite countertops that contain radium which can emit radon a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. This is where we get most of our radon exposure. Ok so the risk from granite is minuscule but how common is radon in u s.

Radon gas becomes trapped indoors after it enters buildings through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Radon gas is inert colorless and odorless. While natural rocks such as granite may emit radiation and radon gas the levels attributable to such sources are not typically high. Radon exists naturally in the ground and there are five common causes of radon in your home.

When uranium decays it turns into.