Once you had a baby, did you take precautionary measures to protect him or her from harm? If you are like us, we are assuming you installed child safety locks, outlet covers on all of your sockets & anything dangerous out of reach. With all of the steps you do take, radon prevention may not be one of them. However, according to the EPA, radon causes 7 times more lung cancer deaths than second hand smoke. Just as you would avoid people smoking around your infant, shouldn’t you make sure your home does not have dangerous radon levels?
Radon is a radioactive gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer. When uranium breaks down in soil, it can enter into your home through the foundation, crawlspace or basement. It is a heavier gas, so it tends to be higher in concentration on lower levels of your home. A child crawling on the floor may be breathing in higher levels of radon than an adult standing in the same room. Some people have their children’s rooms in basements, where radon levels tend to be higher.
The good news is that there are steps you can take that will help with radon prevention, the first being to test your home for radon. A radon measurement professional can test your home with a special device. The radon test report they provide can then be used to develop a radon mitigation plan.
If your home has a radon level higher than the EPAs recommended action limit, it is important to have a radon mitigation system installed. These systems should be installed by a licensed radon remediation professional. These systems are the epitome of radon prevention because they help to mitigate radon before it even enters into your home.
Childrearing has a long list of things to be worried about. Don’t let radon be one of them. Take radon prevention steps today!
