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Radon in Pacific Northwest
Where does it come from?
Thousands of years ago a series of enormous floods carried granite rocks and soil from Montana and Idaho, down the Columbia River Gorge, and out into the Willamette River Valley. That granite debris covers much of the Portland/Vancouver Metro area. That very same granite contains uranium, which breaks down into radon gas.
Why is radon unhealthy?
The by-products of radon gas can attach themselves to the lung lining and shoot off radioactive alpha particles that irritate and sometimes mutate the cells. This can lead to lung cancer. In fact, health agencies consider radon to be, after cigarette smoking, the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S.
What neighborhoods have the highest levels?
Elevated levels of radon have been found in communities from Hood River to Hillsboro, and from Clark County Washington all the way to Salem. In fact, most areas up to about 400 feet above sea level in the Willamette and Columbia River valleys have potential for high radon levels. But radon can be found at even higher elevations, such as the upper Hood River Valley at 2,000 feet above sea level.
It is estimated that at least 1 in 7 homes in the Portland/Vancouver Metro area have elevated radon levels.
The Oregon Radon Program has started to map radon potential by zip code, however, to use this source to decide if you should test or not would be a mistake. The website only shows what has been discovered so far – not the actual potential.
As the EPA and Surgeon General suggest
“All homes should be tested for radon”.
How does radon get into a home?
The house itself is the main culprit. By means of convection (“stack effect”) a house draws the gas up from the underlying soil into basements and crawl spaces where it collects. Radon levels in a given house depend on several factors: the strength of the stack effect, how much radon is being given off by the soil, how porous the soil is, and how easy it is for the gas to get through the house foundation. Because of these variables, one house can have low levels but the house next door can have high levels.
How do you test for radon?
Easy. Inexpensive (as cheap as $10) do-it-yourself test kits are available on-line or at most hardware stores. Or, you can hire a professional to do the testing for you. Most home inspection and environmental consulting companies perform radon testing. In a real estate transaction, it is recommended that an independent, professional, third party do the testing. If you discover radon levels over 4 pCi/L (pronounced “PEE-ko cure-EE’s per liter”) the EPA suggests you lower the levels to as far below 4 pCi/L as possible (normal outdoor air levels average about 0.4 pCi/L).
How do you lower radon levels?
First, and easiest, is by letting in fresh air; however, this tends to be impractical during the colder winter months, and when using air conditioning in the summer.
Trying to seal out the gas with paints and caulking can be difficult and usually ineffective in the long-term. Radon is a gas and can enter through pinholes and hairline cracks making it very difficult to achieve a 100% seal.
The most common mitigation technique is to divert the flow of gas out from under the house via a vent system. Usually this is combined with an electric exhaust fan. This type of system, in effect, asks the radon to follow it rather than the pull of the house’s stack effect.
How much does it cost?
Testing:
• Contact us for a free quote.
• Do-it-yourself test kits cost about $10.
• Professional home testing costs $150
• Multi-family properties and larger business campuses usually cost less per unit.
• Our professional testing services include a written report with recommendations.
Mitigation:
• Contact us for a free consultation and quote.
• Mitigation costs typically range between $900 and $2,500.
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