Prolonged Work from Home Increases Exposure to Dangers of Radon

We often will receive phone calls from potential clients nervous and afraid after learning that their home has elevated radon levels.

The most common question is “Have I been causing my family harm all along?” “Is it too late to do something?” And they simply sound defeated. The answer in a nutshell is simply NO. You have not intentionally harmed your loved ones and it’s never too late to make your indoor air safer.

There is a lot of scientific data that goes into radon levels and the effects it has on our lungs. We simply know this. Air quality in your home is far “dirtier” than any air you are breathing outside and likely in your work environment. Mostly because outside levels are not contained within a structure and in office and commercial spaces, buildings have what they refer to as balanced HVAC systems. Our homes do not.

Overall, your exposure to radon gas is based on two principles:

• How much radon is in your home
• The amount of time you spend in your home

Let’s talk data and probabilities. We are all advised that our radon levels should be at the very least under 4 pCi/l. Data from the EPA is based on long term exposure AND what they refer to as a 70% exposure rate. This terminology refers to “normal use” of a home.

Most people leave during the day to attend work or school, but we return home in the evenings to sleep at home nightly and we come and go on the weekends. We are actually “home” on average 70% of the time in a normal week. The metrics of long term exposure are all based on normal use of a home.

**Keep in mind, those who who are still working from home will actually have a much higher exposure rate as they spend significantly more time at home. Conversely, someone that travels for work through the week will have a lower overall exposure rate as they spend much less time at home.

During these historic times in our lives currently, we still are all forced to be out of our normal routines. Our new routines now consist of work from home, part-time teachesr and full-time homemakers. Please understand that having an active radon mitigation system significantly reduces your indoor radon.

Once your system is in place with an active fan – it takes effect immediately doing the job!!

We wish you well and we wish you safe. Call us with your radon concerns and let’s chat. Our office is open.

*Special thanks to EPA.gov for providing some of this content

Additional link information: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/2012_a_citizens_guide_to_radon.pdf