Radon Gas Hazard in Utah
Steven LizotteGEOG 1700
Fall 2013
Radiation symbol: Nicholas Raymond, http://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/8677736772/
What is Radon Gas?
A radioactive Gas
Odorless, colorless, and tasteless
The second leading cause of lung and bronchus cancer
Radon gas is a killer
Radiation symbol: Nicholas Raymond, http://www.flickr.com/photos/80497449@N04/8677736772
New Jewish Cemetery, Brzesko, Poland
Utah DEQ, DRC
Where Does Radon Come From?
• The natural radioactive decay of Uranium and other heavy elements (such as Vanadium) in the soil
• Radon is found everywhere in the United States• You get exposed to radon daily, but in
concentrations that are well below dangerous (but not risk free) levels – except at home, work, or in any building
How does radon get in?
• Through cracks in the foundation• Around plumbing and electrical lines• Through water when wells contain high levels
of radon gas
US EPAhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basement
What level of radon is safe?
• Radon is measured in picoCurries per liter of air (pCi/L)
• The level or radon in outside air is 0.4 pCi/L on average
• The average indoor level is 1.3 pCiL• Mitigation should occur when levels exceed 2
pCi/L and MUST occur when over 4 pCi/L• THERE IS NO “SAFE” LEVEL in the home or
workplace.
How do I measure radon levels?
• There are a two test types, short term and long term
• Short term tests are less definitive and run from a few days to a few months.
• Long term tests are more definitive and take 6 months or more
• Since any level of radon be dangerous, either test is effective.
Wikimedia Foundation
What hazard does Radon Pose in Utah?
What are the cancer risks in Utah?
What should I know about radon?
• Mitigation should occur when levels exceed 2 pCi/L
• THERE IS NO “SAFE” LEVEL in the home or workplace.
• Smoking plus radon levels over 2 pCi/L magnify your risk of cancer several fold (4 times greater than dying from poison)
+ =Ottone, 2008 Wikimedia Foundation Wikimedia Foundation
For more information visit:
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Radiation Control,
http://www.radon.utah.gov/
• Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html
Sources and References• Ottone, V. (2008, November 20). Portrait #71 - Camélia [Photograph].
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/saneboy/3050003040 • US Environmental Protection Agency. (2013, January 10). A citizen's guide
to radon. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html• Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Radiation Control.
(2013, October 13). Radon program: Frequently asked questions. Retrieved from http://www.radon.utah.gov/radonfaqs.htm
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Radiation Control. (2013, July 10). Short term radon test results by county and zip code. Retrieved from http://www.radon.utah.gov/docs/2013/Mar/RadonShortTerm2013version3.pdf
• Maps created by Steven Lizotte, http://stevenlizotte.wordpress.com/