Does radon affect pregnancy?

The main non-respiratory risk of radon exposure to pregnant women exposed to toxic levels of radon gas is the risk of teratogenic birth defects (those that affect the arms and legs, such as malformation or absence of fingers, toes, feet, hands or an entire limb.

What percentage of radon is bad?

We also suggest installing a radon mitigation system if you have any radon level above 2.0 pCi/L. While the EPA may set the actionable level at 4.0 pCi/L, any level of radon is dangerous and a radon mitigation system will never be wasted.

Is radon exposure cumulative?

The bottom line is that cumulative radon exposure determines the potential risk of lung cancer. It should be noted, however, that since radon risk is multiplicative with the risk from smoking, tobacco use is, by far, the primary factor in lung cancer risk from radon.

What is long-term radon exposure?

Being exposed to radon for a long period of time can lead to lung cancer. Radon gas in the air breaks down into tiny radioactive elements (radon progeny) that can lodge in the lining of the lungs, where they can give off radiation. This radiation can damage lung cells and eventually lead to lung cancer.

Is radon testing safe while pregnant?

The bottom line is that indoor radon at the level measured in your bedroom would not affect the health of your unborn child.

Can radon cause miscarriage?

Radon is a known air pollutant. It is tasteless, odorless, and colorless gas. As a byproduct of the natural decay of radium, it still emits radiation which in substantial amount can cause radiation-related birth defects and miscarriage.

What are high radon readings?

Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. Levels of 4 pCi/L or higher are considered hazardous. Radon levels less than 4 pCi/L still pose a risk and in many cases can be reduced, although it is difficult to reduce levels below 2 pCi/L.

What are normal radon readings?

According to the EPA, the maximum “acceptable” level of radon is 4.0 pCi/L, but even that level is not “safe”, per se. The EPA strongly recommends you consider radon mitigation between levels 2.0 and 4.0. For perspective, the average outdoor air level of radon is 0.4 pCi/L.

Is radon gas a VOC?

You have probably heard of radon gas. However, , it is not the only harmful gas that comes from our soil. Lesser known but still something to be aware of, are volatile organic compounds (VOC’s).

What are 5 facts about radon?

Here are a few facts about radon, and what you can do to help keep your family healthy and safe.

• Radon is radioactive. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas.
• Radon causes cancer.
• No immediate symptoms.
• You must test for radon.
• Radon is present indoors and outdoors.
• Radon can build up in any building.

Are copy machines safe during pregnancy?

What about our home printers and copiers? For most of us, proximity to regular printer ink and toner will not harm a growing fetus because we don’t have ongoing exposure to the irritants found in the ink and toner.

What is the radon diffusion coefficient of waterproofing?

It can be seen that the radon diffusion coefficient values of widely-used waterproofing materials vary within seven orders of magnitude, from 10 −14 m 2 /s to 10 −8 m 2 /s.

How is radon resistance of a particular material determined?

The arithmetic mean of the values of all samples was considered as the resulting radon diffusion coefficient of a particular material. The radon resistance of a particular material was determined on the basis of the resulting values of the radon diffusion coefficient and the thickness.

What is the graded approach to design radon-proof insulation?

In the field of designing radon-proof insulations, the graded approach involves finding the most appropriate combination of thickness and the radon diffusion coefficient, i.e. the most appropriate radon resistance value, so that the insulation provides adequate protection but is not oversized.

What is the total uncertainty of radon diffusion coefficient measurement?

The total uncertainty of radon diffusion coefficient measurement is predicted to be 20 – 40 %. This value is mostly influenced by the uncertainty in evaluation of the insulation thickness. For that reason three different samples of insulation are used for the measurement.