Ohio’s soils contain high concentrations of uranium and radium that deliver a constant source of Radon toxicity into local homes. Cities with some of the Highest Toxicity Level Include:
Public health officials have known about the harmful effects of high concentrations of radon from studies of uranium miners back in the 1950s, but neither geologists nor health officials suspected that a number of Ohio homes harbored potentially harmful concentrations of this inert gas. A radon belt stretching from New York to the upper Plains runs through central Ohio. In 2014, over 50,000 Ohio homes had Radon Testing performed to determine the levels of radioactive gas in their home, that is an increase from only 1,464 tests done in 2007! Here is the scary part, about half the tests detect radon levels above the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe limit of 4.0 picocuries per liter. That means over 25,000 homes in Ohio have lethal levels of Radon gas and require Radon Mitigation Services.
Many Ohio homes have high exposure levels to radon because of how they are built and how much time we spend indoors in our climate. One important factor is that many Ohio homes have basements that are used as main living areas, and since radon permeates up through the house's foundation, it puts family members closer to the source of the problem.
Professional installation of a Radon Removal system draws radon gas from beneath the foundation of the home to be directly vented outside without having a chance to enter the home. According to the EPA, Radon Removal can eliminate up to 99 percent of radon from the home. These Radon Mitigation devices, called soil suction radon reduction systems, should always be installed and supervised by a Licensed Radon Mitigation Specialist or Radon Remediation Service Provider. Also, re-testing should be done at regular intervals to ensure the quality of the Radon Mitigation.
Homeowners can reduce their risk of lung cancer, but they must act soon. Elevated levels of radon can be found in any home. Often, next-door neighbors can have vastly different radon readings — one safe and the other not.
If you live in any of the following areas, it is imperative that you get Professional Radon Testing performed. The EPA estimates that radon is responsible for 21,000 of the nation’s 160,000 annual lung cancer deaths.
