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Radon Information
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Iowa Air Coalition 
The Iowa AIR Coalition is a Public Health Coalition in Iowa working together in the areas of RADON in the home and workplace, INDOOR AIR QUALITY, and awareness and control of ASTHMA triggers in the indoor environment.
The Iowa AIR Coalition is federally funded and administered through the Iowa Department of Public Health.
For Radon information call the Radon Hotline number 1-800-383-5992.
Check out the Iowa Air Coalition Website by clicking here.
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Radon Hotline 1-800-383-5992
Order radon kits from Air Check( www.radon.com)
Contact Makala McFee (makala@radon.com), customer service and Order Processing to set up an account ensure that you get discounted kits.
RADON FOR SCHOOLS The Iowa Department of Education has developed a new website about radon for schools. The site contains information about testing and useful links to EPA information. Learn more here: https://www.educateiowa.gov/pk-12/school-facilities/radon-schools. |
CHECK OUT THESE LINKS American Lung Association |
Need to find a radon professional?
Certified Radon Tester
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One Mitigator/Testing lab has some interesting stuff about granite and their own testing procedure and kits.
http://www.radon.com/radon/granite.html
The CT DEP did surveys similar to yours with similar results.
http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2713&q=430360&depNav_GID=1639
The Marble Institute of America (A granite industry trade organization) has the closest thing to a national testing protocol so far.
http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/assessingexposurereport.pdf
CRCPD.org EPA.gov and HPS.org also have some info that might be useful.
The latest (two years ago) uproar was started by a company called Clean Build. A TV station in Houston Texas carried a report in which they stated that the Quartz Countertop Industry had funded them for the purpose of cutting into granite’s market.
You can find the video by searching KHOU TV-11 and granite countertops on youtube.
Here is an article about formaldehyde in homes
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Disturbed soil and trees may stir up a specific mold strain: Cryptococcus Gattii .When infected the current relative death rate is 25%. (based on 18 humans and 19 animals between 2005-2009). The respiratory tract is affected. Symptoms: "When the fungal spores are inhaled, they lodge in the lungs and respiratory tract. Symptoms, which can take months to appear, include a persistent cough, chest pain and difficulty breathing.
Until 1999, C. gattii was isolated to tropical regions. Then cases began popping up in the Pacific Northwest,
including an outbreak on Vancouver Island that killed 9 percent of the 200 people believed to have been infected.
Experts suspect the original strain was imported via foreign plants and that this latest C. gattii mutation, described as "highly virulent," is a new occurrence."
More information can be found on this link:
http://www.aolnews.com/science/article/highly-virulent-strain-of-killer-fungus-found-in-oregon/
19451049?icid=main|htmlws-sb-n|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aolnews.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%
2Fhighly-virulent-strain-of-killer-fungus-found-in-oregon%2F19451049
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Radon Courses for Professionals
We offer certification courses approved by the National Environmental Health Association, National Radon Proficiency
Program (NEHA-NRPP), and the National Radon Safety Board (NRSB).
Courses Include:
- Radon Measurement
- Radon Mitigation
- Hands-on Mitigation
- Radon Control in New Homes
- Advanced Diagnostics
- Online Courses
Course Locations:
Canada, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, and Wisconsin
Important News Release!
Highlights of World Health Organization's WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective
Offered by: Midwest Universities Radon Consortium (MURC)
Facilitated by: University of Minnesota and Kansas State University
For more information and to register, visit the Radon Web site or call 1-800-843-8636
How Healthy is your Child’s Bedroom poster
Iowa Radon Professionals and Stakeholders
A small group of Iowans has initiated a project to have radon legislation introduced to the Iowa General Assembly.
The tactic would include the introduction of 2 bills: one bill would require a radon test to be performed prior to every
home purchase; the other would be similar to the Illinois Radon Awareness Act.
To read the Illinois law, click on the following link: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2913&ChapAct=420%20ILCS%2046/&ChapterID=37&ChapterName=NUCLEAR%20SAFETY
&ActName=Illinois%20Radon%20Awareness%20Act
WHO Urges Lower Threshold for Acting on Radon
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-address/2009/09/world_health_organization_says.html
Many of us shake our heads when we hear of non-smokers who develop lung cancer and wonder how they could have come down with such a brutal disease. But in many cases, scientists tell us, exposure to radon gas in their homes could have been the cause. According to the World Health Organization, between 3 and 14 percent of lung cancer cases can be blamed on exposure low- to medium-level levels of radon in homes.
WHO just recommended that countries set an action level for getting rid of radon that's lower than the one established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nearly two decades ago. According to the EPA, if a radon test shows the level in your home to be 4 picocuries per liter or higher, you should re-test and then take action to reduce the level. But, even if a test shows a level of 2 picocuries per liter, the agency suggests people consider taking action.
WHO's new recommendation (which they stated in the European metric method, at 100 Becquerel per cubic metre) is equivalent to 2.7 picocuries per liter using the American measure, according to Tom Kelly, acting director of radiation and indoor air for the EPA. But he said the agency is not considering changing its recommended action level of 4, partly because the round number is easy for the public to remember.
In a phone interview, Kelly said, "There is no threshold level in which radon is safe. ... There's a lot of risk below 2.7; there's a lot of risk below four." The most important thing, he said, was just to get people to take the risk seriously, test their homes and then to perform the relatively simple and inexpensive fixes needed to reduce their exposure.
"Radon is a terrible thing," Kelly said. "More than 20,000 Americans every year are found to have lung cancer. Much of that is avoidable."
He estimated about 15 percent of homes in America would show high levels if they were tested.
Radon gas is produced by the decay of uranium in the soil. It has no color or odor and can enter homes through cracks in the floor or foundation walls, or through slab openings for sump pumps and plumbing.
You can buy a do-it-yourself radon test kit at hardware stores for about $10. "These rugged little test kits still give you a very useful estimate," Kelly said. If it shows radon, you can follow up with more precise tests from professionals. "Remember, 4 is not safe," Kelly said. He also said it's best to do the test in the cooler months, when the house is closed up and humidity levels are low. Heat and humidity can affect readings, he said.
If you do find radon, often it can be lowered dramatically by sealing building openings and adding ventilation, especially in the basement.
Tougher Radon Rules for Canada
Tough new Health Canada recommendations on radon exposure may soon affect forming and foundation contractors, if proposed changes to the 2010 National Building Code (NBC) take effect. “Health Canada worked closely with the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Radiation Protection Committee in making the decision to lower the guideline from 800 Bq per cubic metre to 200 Bq per cubic metre for all buildings, including homes. This new threshold places Canada among the international leaders for radon guidelines, so that Canada has one of the lowest acceptable levels for radon in buildings.” ( 37 Bq/ cubic meter(becquerels) = 1 pCi/liter )
The Remarkable Radium "Liquid Sunshine" Fad And its Deadly Consequences
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/08/28/radium.aspx
21, 000 Lung Cancer Deaths
Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. every year, and about 200 in Iowa. These are preventable with proper action.
January and other cooler weather months are the best time to test your home for radon. Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims more than 21,000 lives annually.
All home owners should be encouraged to test their homes and make repairs if the radon level is 4.0 picocuries or greater.
Read more about radon at http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html
Radon Testing Ad with the Neighbor