Radon, Asbestos & Lead

DRC Inspections & Consulting, LLC
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Other Indoor Air Quality issues that can impact your family's health are radon, asbestos, and lead.

What is Radon?

Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it, but it could be a problem in your home. It is estimated that radon causes many thousands of deaths each year. This is because when you breathe any air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. As a matter of fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. The chance of developing lung cancer due to radon exposure is greatly increased if you smoke in a home with high radon levels.

Where is Radon found?

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon is found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building, whether it is a school, an office, or your home and can result in a high indoor radon level. The greatest exposure to you and your family would most likely be at home, where you spend most of your time.

Radon in Georgia

The EPA recommends that regardless of geographical area, all homes in the state of Georgia should be tested. It is estimated that thousands of individual homes with elevated radon levels exist in Georgia. There are three zones the EPA uses to assist National, State, and Local organizations to aim their resources and implement radon-resistant building codes. You can click here to see an EPA map of the Georgia to help you determine what zone you live in and the potential of radon affecting your home.

Should I test for Radon?

You are the deciding factor on whether or not you want to test your home for radon. Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk. The EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes (at the lowest level of the home) for radon. The EPA also recommends testing in schools.

How much does Radon testing cost?

Radon testing is inexpensive and in some instances you can even do it yourself. Radon testing kits are available for homeowners to purchase. However, when faced with a real estate transaction, it is often preferred that a third party provide the testing. This is where we can help you. Whether you are buying your home or selling, it is a good idea to consider having the home tested for Radon.

Can I remain in my home while it is being tested?

Yes, you can but there are some simple yet very important guidelines that must be adhered to if you plan on being home during the short-term testing:

1) All windows must be kept closed.
2) Exterior doors must be kept closed.
3) Basement doors to the first floor must be kept closed except for normal entering & exiting.
4) Heating and A/C should operate normally.
5) All thermostats should be left at normal settings.
6) Whole house fans, fireplaces & wood stoves cannot be operated during the testing procedure. **Unless a fireplace/wood stove is your only source of heat.
7) The detectors cannot be moved, touched, or tampered in any way.

This is to ensure that Federal EPA and/or State Radon Testing Protocols are followed.

How does Radon get into my home?

Since radon comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils, it typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up. Any home can potentially have a radon problem. This includes new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. Typically, here is where radon gets through:

1) Cracks in solid floors
2) Construction joints
3) Cracks in walls
4) Gaps in suspended floors
5) Gaps around service pipes
6) Cavities inside walls
7) The water supply

**Nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. is estimated to have elevated radon levels.

What is considered a high level of Radon?

The average indoor radon level is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L and about 0.4 pCi/L of radon is normally found in outside air. The U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal that indoor radon levels be no more than outdoor levels. While this goal is not yet technologically achievable in all cases, most homes today can be reduced to 2 pCi/L or less. However, the EPA believes that any radon exposure carries some risk - no level of radon is safe.

The best method to test for radon levels in your home is to do a long-term test. Long term tests require a testing period of 90 days or longer. In real estate transactions, this usually not possible, so the client can opt for a short-term test of 48 hours, which will yield results quickly. The long term tests provide you with a better understanding of the year-round average radon level in your home.

Radon and Home Sales

It is becoming more common for home buyers and renters to ask about radon levels before they buy or rent a home. Due to the fact that real estate sales happen quickly, there is usually little time to deal with radon and other issues. The best thing you can do is test for radon NOW and save the results in case a future buyer is ever interested. If a problem exists, go ahead and fix it. This will lessen complications of a home sale in the future. During home sales:

1) Buyers often ask if a home has been tested, and if elevated levels were reduced.
2) Buyers frequently want tests made by someone who is not involved in the home sale (third party.)
3) Buyers might want to know the radon levels in areas of the home (like a basement they may plan to finish) that the seller might not otherwise test.

What if my home has high levels of Radon?

If high radon levels are detected in a short-term test, then take another short-term test to verify the levels are accurate. If your second test comes back high, then you can contact a qualified mitigator to assess what corrections are necessary. They can easily install radon reduction systems that are not too costly and can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.

For more information on reducing radon levels in your home, you can visit the EPA's Consumer Guide to Radon Reduction.

Asbestos

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a mineral fiber. It can only be positively identified with a special type of microscope. There are several types of asbestos fibers. In the past, asbestos was commonly added to a variety of products to strengthen them and to provide heat insulation and fire resistance.

What are the health effects caused by Asbestos?

1) Lung Cancer
2) Mesothelioma (A cancer of the lining of the chest and the abdominal cavity.)
3) Asbestosis (The lungs become scarred with a fibrous tissue.)

Based on studies of individuals who have been exposed to asbestos in factories and shipyards, we know that breathing high levels of asbestos fibers can lead to an increased risk of these health risks.

The risk of lung cancer and mesothelioma increases with the number of fibers inhaled. If you smoke, that risk is even greater. Asbestosis is usually seen in people who have been exposed to high levels of asbestos for a long time. The symptoms of these diseases usually do not appear until about 20 to 30 years after the first exposure to asbestos.

Where can Asbestos be found and when can it be a problem?

1) Steam pipes, boilers, and furnace ducts insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.

2) Resilient floor tiles (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on vinyl sheet flooring, and adhesives used for installing floor tile.

3) Cement sheet, millboard, and paper used as insulation around furnaces and woodburning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling, or sawing insulation.

3) Door gaskets in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.

4) Soundproofing or decorative material sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers.

5) Patching and joint compounds for walls and ceilings, and textured paints.

6) Asbestos cement roofing, shingles, and siding. **These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless they are sawed, drilled, or cut.

7) Artificial ashes and embers sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. **Even older household products such as fireproof gloves, stove-top pads, ironing board covers, and certain hairdryers have been found to contain asbestos.

8) Automobile brake pads and linings, clutch facings, and gaskets.

**Remember, cutting, drilling, tearing, sanding, or sawing any of the aforementioned can potentially release asbestos fibers into the air.

What should I do if Asbestos is found in My Home?

If you believe that asbestos may be in your home, don't panic! Typically, the best thing to do is leave asbestos material that is in good condition alone. Generally, material that is in good condition will not release asbestos fibers.

Check the material regularly if you think it may contain asbestos.

Don't touch the material, but look for signs of wear or damage such as tears, abrasions, or water damage. Damaged material may release asbestos fibers. This is particularly true if you often disturb it by hitting, rubbing, or handling it, or if it is exposed to extreme vibration or air flow.

Check with your local health, environmental, or other appropriate officials to find out proper handling and disposal procedures.

If the asbestos material is more than just slightly damaged, or if you are planning on making changes to your home that may disturb it, then a repair or removal professional is needed. Before you have your home remodeled, find out whether asbestos materials are present.

How Can I Tell if a Material Contains Asbestos?

There is no way to tell if a material contains asbestos simply by looking at it. The material must be lab-tested. If you are in doubt, then treat it as if it were asbestos or have it sampled and analyzed by a qualified professional. No matter what, when handling any material that may contain or is suspected to contain asbestos, it is always best to contact a professional to take the samples. Proper handling of asbestos is very important.

Asbestos Repairs:

Major repairs involving asbestos must be done only by a professional trained in methods for safely handling asbestos.

Minor repairs should also be done by professionals since there is always a risk of exposure to fibers when asbestos is disturbed.

Doing minor repairs yourself is not recommended since improper handling of asbestos materials can create a hazard where none previously existed.

You can learn more about asbestos at http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/pubs/ashome.html

Lead

Facts About Lead:

1) Lead exposure can harm young children and babies even before they are born.

2) Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.

3) You can get lead in your body by breathing or swallowing lead dust, or by eating soiled or paint chips containing lead.

4) You have many options for reducing lead hazards. In most cases, lead-based paint that is in good condition is not a hazard.

5) Removing lead-based paint improperly can increase the danger to your family.

What are the Health Effects of Lead?

Childhood lead poisoning remains a major environmental health problem in the United States.

People can get lead in their body if they:
- Put their hands or other objects covered with lead dust in their mouths.
- Eat paint chips or soil that contains lead.
- Breathe in lead dust, especially during renovations that disturb painted surfaces.
Lead is more dangerous to children because:
- Babies and young children often put their hands and other objects in their mouths. These objects can have lead dust on them.
- Children's growing bodies absorb more lead.
- Children's brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead.
If not detected early, children with high levels of lead in their bodies can suffer from:
- Damage to the brain and nervous system.
- Behavior and learning problems, such as hyperactivity.
- Slowed growth.
- Hearing problems.
- Headaches.
Lead is also harmful to adults. Adults can suffer from:
- Reproductive problems (in both men and women).
- High blood pressure and hypertension.
- Nerve disorders.
- Memory and concentration problems.
- Muscle and joint pain.

Where is lead found?

In the paint of a home.
In the soil surrounding a home.
In household dust.
In drinking water.
On the job.
Old painted toys & furnishings.
Food and/or liquids stored in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain.
Hobbies that use lead.

Where is Lead Likely to be a Hazard?

Peeling, chipping, chalking, or cracking lead-based paint is a hazard and needs immediate attention.

Lead-based paint may also be a hazard when found on surfaces that children can chew or that get a lot of wear-and-tear, such as:

Windows & window sills.
Doors and door frames.
Stairs, railings, and banisters.
Porches and fences.

Lead dust can form when lead-based paint is dry-scraped, dry sanded, or heated. It also forms on painted surfaces that rub together.

Lead in soiled can also be a hazard when children play in bare soil or when people bring soil into the house on their shoes.

What to do if you suspect a lead problem.

Have your home tested for lead based paint.

If lead-based paint is an issue with your home, have a qualified professional do the remediation work.

You can find more information on lead-based paint at the EPA.

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