A radon problem can be life threatening and lead to lungs or stomach cancer if proper remedial steps are not taken. In the following sections we will look at radon in water and air, its treatment methods & how a qualified contractor can help in lowering the levels in your house.
Radon in Water
In water it presents ingestion as well as inhalation risks and can cause stomach cancer. The gas also gets discharged into air if the water is used in bath showers or for any other purpose in the house. You are most likely to face this problem if ground water from private well is used or water supply system in your locality makes use of ground water.
Solutions
The two solutions to this problem are POE and POU treatments.
POE Treatment
The POE or Point of Entry treatment removes the gas from water at the entry point in your home. A POE uses aeration devices or GAC filters with granular activated carbon filters being cheaper than aeration devices. However, radioactive material gets deposited in GAC filters & need special technique for disposal.
POU Treatment
The POU of Point of Use treatment can help in removing this gas from tap water but can be used for treatment of very small amount of your total water usage. These devices are also not capable of preventing release of gas into air from water as is possible in POE treatment.
Radon in Air
There are several ways which can be used to lower the levels in the air in house. First method is to seal all the cracks in foundation but according to EPA this is not the only solution to the problem. Another technique is to use fans & vent pipes where a house has crawl space and is commonly known as sub slab depressurization. Using this technique you can prevent entry of this gas in your home.
Role of a Qualified Contractor
A qualified contractor will properly check the test results and let you know if more tests would be required. Analyze the problem level and give a written proposal that states the procedure to be undertaken to reduce the levels in the house. Do the installation of the system as per EPA guidelines and ensure that the installed system works as required.
A Final Note
Thus we will conclude here by saying that this problem can be solved if you have proper knowledge and you take assistance of a qualified contractor for analysis of the situation and its correction.