[NJ Forum] Re: Re: Radon levels [lung cancer can result from very low exposures to radon]

[Joe Parrish]

Hi Bill,
My face glows!
Indeed, you are correct, but as the NJDEP site notes, "lung cancer can 
result from very low exposures to radon," so the Tier information by 
township can be quite misleading; a radon level of below 1 pCi/L is 
desirable.  Note the Tier levels below refer to radon concentrations four 
times that, so they are well beyond the recommended level. Note: "There is 
no truly 'safe' level of radon since lung cancer can result from very low 
exposures to radon ."  One can know what the radon levels are in a specific 
house only by testing, and there can be seasonal and daily fluctuations, so 
a 3-12 month test would probably be the only reliable way to have some 
certainty.

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/rpp/radon/TierLevels.htm
      Tier 1
      High Potential - at least 25 homes tested with 25 percent or more 
having radon concentrations greater that or equal to 4 pCi/L.

      Tier 2
      Moderate Potential - at least 25 homes tested with 5 to 24 percent or 
more having radon concentrations greater that or equal to 4 pCi/L.

      Tier 3
      Low Potential - at least 25 homes tested with less than 5 percent or 
more having radon concentrations greater that or equal to 4 pCi/L.



Tier 1 (high radon in certain townships) is in the counties of Burlington, 
Camden, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, 
Salem, and Somerset, in our Diocese, but there can be hot spots in any 
county, as I learned in a neighborhood in Hillside in Union County, where a 
house tested at 4 pCi/L at two points in a short term test.  So the county 
and even township generalization only works very approximately.

Each house should be tested and mitigated if necessary to try to get the 
radon levels to less than 1 pCi/L.
More at: http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/radontes.htm

A long-term test of 3-12 months will provide your best estimate of average 
exposure over time, since radon levels fluctuate daily and by season. 
Because gases are drawn to areas of lower pressure, radon gas will enter the 
home at a rate that depends on the air pressure inside the home, which is 
affected by temperature, wind conditions, exhaust systems in the home, etc. 
Long-term testing should include the winter months, when radon 
concentrations are often higher than at other times.

Long-term test devices are usually either alpha track detectors or 
electrets; both tests are considered equally reliable and accurate.

<>

There is no truly "safe" level of radon since lung cancer can result from 
very low exposures to radon – however, the risk decreases as the radon 
concentration decreases. If your test result is less than 4.0 pCi/L, you may 
want to discuss with mitigation companies whether the radon level can be 
brought down still further. In about half of the homes that have been 
mitigated in New Jersey, radon levels have been brought to less than 1 
pCi/L.

<>

MITIGATING YOUR HOME

  The most common type of radon mitigation system is the sub-slab 
depressurization system. This system uses venting and sealing to lower radon 
levels in the home. A pipe is installed that runs from below the basement 
flooring to above the roofline, with a fan at the top that draws radon out 
from under the slab. Cracks and openings in the foundation are sealed. The 
radon is vented through the pipe to the outside, where it is quickly 
diluted.

  The average price of such a system is around $1,200, although prices can 
range from $500 to $2,500, depending on characteristics of the home and the 
underlying soil. You can install the system yourself, if you are highly 
experienced in making home repairs, or you can hire a New Jersey certified 
radon mitigation company to do the work for you. New Jersey certified radon 
mitigation professionals meet specified education and experience standards 
and must take continuing education classes each year to maintain their 
certification. It is against the law for uncertified contractors to do 
mitigation work in New Jersey.

  After your home has been mitigated, make sure the mitigator does a 
post-mitigation test to prove the system is working properly. In addition, 
you can contact the Radon Program to obtain a free post-mitigation test (you 
will have to provide a copy of your mitigation contract). Retesting your 
home every two years will tell you whether or not your system is still 
working effectively in reducing the radon level to below 4 pCi/L. If you 
believe that your system was not installed correctly, you can contact the 
Radon Program to arrange for a free inspection and test of the system.



  Radon, a heavy radioactive gas, results from the decay of subterranean 
uranium and radium.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <thebcp at juno.com>
To: <njclergy at mail.newjersey.anglican.org>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 12:56 PM
Subject: [NJclergy] Radon levels


Thank you for this notification from the Environmental Commission. However, 
when I checked the DEP website, it appears that "Tier 3" designates a low 
level of radon (Tier 1 being the highest), and that therefore Atlantic, Cape 
May and Ocean counties have lower potential for radon than other counties in 
the diocese and state. Or am I missing something?
Bill Parker, Epiphany, Ventnor

<<>>

Today's Topics:

  1. Environnmental Commission - Radon in New Jersey (Joe Parrish)


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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:40:18 -0500
From: "Joe Parrish" <JoeParrish at compuserve.com>
Subject: [NJclergy] Environnmental Commission - Radon in New Jersey
To: "Diocese of New Jersey - Clergy mailing"
<njclergy at mail.newjersey.anglican.org>
Cc: Diocese of New Jersey - Forum Listserve
<forum at mail.newjersey.anglican.org>
Message-ID: <5AFD55194D0545FAAD6D822556417369 at YOUR264F1833C5>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

There are a number of New Jersey townships that have significant radon 
levels, [but it is] especially [low, in general,] in the counties of Cape 
May, Atlantic, and Ocean, [but even there there is no guarantee a specific 
house would have low radon levels].

If you want to see how your township is rated, go here:
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rpp/radon/ctytiera.htm#20

Here is an overview of the risks, from the NJDEP:

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/rpp/radon/index.htm

Radon is among the higher risk factors for lung cancer for people who are 
non-smokers, in addition to second hand smoke.

Granite counter tops are notable emitters of radon, in addition to 
subterranean uranium deposits.

For the subterranean deposits, if one's home has a high radon level, a 
basement ventilation system can be installed to ventilate out the radon.


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