Do you know How Radon Can Harm You Over Time? Unlike other carcinogens, radon appears out of nowhere, earning it the nickname “silent killer.” With cigarette smoke, there is the actual smoke’s sight, smell, and heat. But radon lacks these indicators. We naturally encounter radon, a gas with radioactive characteristics, in our surroundings.

When the uranium, which is present in soils and rocks, decays and seeps to the surface through soil and water, the gas, which has no taste, odor, or color, can be discharged into the atmosphere. Knowing how radon progressively damages you is important since exposure to radioactive material and its decay can result in cancer.

How Most Single Residential Homes Are Exposed to Radon

Byproducts from the process may enter underground water streams and then bubble up to the surface as radon gas.

The reason for the name “silent killer” is that it can enter your home undetected, excluding radon test kits purchased from an expert or retailer. As it builds up within your home in places with inadequate ventilation, especially during the winter, the damage happens gradually. When radon reaches dangerously high levels, it begins to have negative effects. It can steadily injure you when it reaches or exceeds certain levels. Eventually, the effects may lead to a cancer diagnosis. Your best chance of avoiding it is to catch it early, which is why so many radon experts consistently urge professional radon testing.

In comparison to the earth surrounding the home’s foundation, the air pressure inside the house is lower. Gases from the outside flow into the interiors of the house because of the pressure differential. Radon will seep into the inside of the house if it is present in the surroundings and the soil.

There may be a few openings in your home where it meets the ground and the surface. These openings could allow radon to enter the home. Construction joints, foundation wall and floor fissures, support posts, cavities, sumps, and floor drains are a few examples of these apertures.

Indoor air may have extremely high and hazardous levels of radon. Typically, the value is 200 BQ/M3 or higher. Radon can infiltrate into indoor areas from the surrounding rocks and soil and can accumulate in those with insufficient ventilation characteristics.

Radioactive Decay

All across the world, radioactive substances and their dangerous byproducts are exposed to people. Uranium, a radioactive substance, may be present in the crust of the earth more frequently than we realize.

Because radon is radioactive, there should be cause for concern even if you don’t live close to radioactive waste. The presence of radon at specific levels in Canadian homes is particularly typical.

Over time, radioactive materials can degrade and cause health problems. Humans may be exposed to lethal radiation and hazardous subatomic activity through radioactive decay.

In conclusion, radiation has three consequences. Alpha and beta particle bombardment are the first two. These fast-diverging subatomic particles might cause cellular harm to your lungs. Gamma radiation makes up the third component of radioactive decay.

Lung Cancer

Radon, according to Health Canada, raises the risk of malignancies, including lung cancer. When exposed to radon, smokers are significantly more likely to develop cancer. According to the most recent reports, up to 16% of all lung cancer fatalities in Canada may be attributable to indoor radon exposure. Lung cancer brought on by radon claims the lives of more than 3,300 people annually.

When exposed to radioactive gases and substances like radon, smokers are even more likely to acquire lung cancer because they are already exposed to a number of carcinogens on a daily or weekly basis. Exposure to high amounts of radon for an extended period of time can be hazardous and encourage the development of malignancies, including lung cancer.

The services also use cutting-edge tools and the most recent technologies to lower the radon levels in homes. Before it’s too late, homeowners should use the services or do their own tests using radon testing kits to determine the levels of radon in the house.