Rochester, Minnesota – Radon Mitigation

What is Radon – Rochester

Radon is a type of element that occurs naturally in the environment. At the normal range of the Earth’s temperatures, radon takes the form of a gas that you can’t taste, smell or see. Most homes have some level of radon in them, not just in Rochester, Minnesota, but also throughout the world.

A unit of measurement called picoCuries per liter is used for describing radon levels. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes guidelines for safe levels of radon in Rochester and throughout the rest of the United States. As long as radon levels remain at 4.0 picoCuries per liter or under, the EPA usually does not recommend taking any action. At higher levels, radon has the potential to cause health problems and needs to be mitigated to ensure that your home is safe.

In cities throughout the upper Midwest, including Rochester, it is not uncommon to find elevated levels of radon due to the presence of uranium in the soil. As uranium breaks down in the ground beneath them, houses in Rochester become filled with the byproduct of radon. Having live-in basements also increases the likelihood of abnormally high radon levels in Rochester area homes.

Rochester in “High Radon Potential Zone”

The Olmsted County Public Health Services Department published a community health report in 2010 that describes the conditions of air quality in homes throughout the Rochester area and the rest of the county. The report showed that Rochester lies in an area that the EPA has deemed a “High Radon Potential Zone.” Tests of indoor air quality have been conducted on 11 percent of homes in the Olmstead County region since 1992, and half of those tested were found to have levels of radon above 4.0 picoCuries per liter.

Radon Entering The Home

Radon can enter homes in Rochester through a variety of means. Cracks in concrete slabs and blocks and spaces between brick veneer walls can allow radon to seep into living spaces. Open sumps and crawlspaces and loose pipe fittings can also allow radon to leak into houses in the Rochester area, leading to decreased air quality.

Radon Health Concerns

Breathing in air contaminated with elevated levels of radon gas can cause permanent damage to the lungs. Among nonsmokers, radon gas is the number one cause of lung cancer throughout Rochester and the rest of the United States. Radon is also the second leading cause of lung cancer in smokers. Rochester residents at a high risk for lung cancer due to other health problems or family history are particularly susceptible to the effects of radon.

Health problems from exposure to excessive levels of radon gas do not happen instantaneously. Homeowners in Rochester can contact the Minnesota Department of Health for information about receiving discounted radon detection kits. Finding out that your home has elevated radon levels is the first step toward mitigating the amount of the potentially deadly gas, decreasing your chance of developing health problems in the future.