Optional Services Explained
Radon
Radon in Water
Bacteria
Lead Paint
CO2 Test
Combustible Gas
Radon Gas Test
What is radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes, in all 50 states. It comes from natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home can trap radon inside. Sometimes radon enters the home through well water. Radon gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert, it may be a problem in your home. That is because when you breathe air containing radon, you increase your risk of getting lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high. . Unless you test for it, there is no way of telling how much is present.
What is the "acceptable" level of radon in air?
The EPA states that any radon exposure carries some risk; no level of radon exposure is always safe. However, the EPA recommends homes be fixed if an occupant's long-term exposure will average 4 Pico curies per liter (pCi/L) or higher.
How often is indoor radon a problem?
The U.S. average radon-in-air level in single family homes is 1.3 pCi/L .Nearly one out of every 15 homes has a radon level that exceeds what the EPA considers an “action limit” of 4 pCi/L or greater and nearly 1 out of 6 exceeds the 2 pCi/L "consider action limit". Because most people spend as much as 90 percent of their time indoors, indoor exposure to radon is an important concern.
EPA recommends that you test your home before putting it on the market or purchasing a home and, if necessary, lower your radon levels. Save the test results and all information you have about steps that were taken to fix any problems. This could be a positive selling point.
Radon Gas Test in Well Water
What is Radon in water?
Radon is injected into the water in an aquifer by the decay of radium. A radon (Rn) molecule is formed when a radium molecule releases an alpha particle and turns itself into a radon molecule. The radon molecule is recoiled away from the alpha particle that is formed. The recoil causes the radon to be driven into the water.
The injection of radon into the water will only occur as long as there is a fresh surface of radium next to the water. Radium that decays below the water/rock surface will not release radon into the water. The radium below the surface can only be exposed by erosion. This erosion is usually the result of the action of carbonic acid in the ground water.
It is suggested by the EPA that if you have elevated air radon levels and are on a private well that you should have your water radon tested.
Why be concerned with Radon in Water?
Radon in your water will be released in your home every time water is exposed to the air. The amount of radon added to the air is dependent on how much radon is in the water, how much water you use and how much the water is aerated when you use it. Radon levels in the air will be raised from radon in the water when you shower, run the washing machine or use a dishwasher. Drinking water with radon in it is considered a very small risk
What are safe levels of Radon in Water?
When you take a shower or use the washer or dishwasher radon in the water is released into the air and the levels will rise. The radon will then diffuse throughout the house before escaping to the outside. In order to raise the whole house average radon levels by 1 pCi/l in a house it is estimated that you need 10,000 pCi/l in the water. This is only a general rule that varies depending on the size of the house, number of occupants and water usage. Using this ratio would require 40,000 pCi/L in the water to raise the average radon levels by 4.0 pCi/L. 4.0 pCi/L, however, is not a safe level but a readily achievable level. Reducing radon in water levels of 10,000 pCi/L is likely to reduce the indoor radon levels by about 1 pCi/L which will reduce the lifetime cancer risk of 5 individuals per 1000 persons in the general population. Certainly as the radon in water levels approach or exceed 20,000 pCi/l serious consideration should be given to having a water treat system installed.
Water Test for Bacteria
There are several tests that, if done periodically, can help owners of private wells determine whether they have safe, clean drinking water. Periodic testing will confirm the quality of your well water. State well construction code requires that new wells be tested before use. You should consider testing anytime you notice a change in odor or taste.
The two most important well tests are:
Bacteria Coliform bacteria are microorganisms found in the intestines of warm-blooded animals as well as in soil, on vegetation, and in surface water runoff. Finding coliform bacteria in a water supply is an indication that there is a potential for disease-producing organisms to be present also. Coliform bacteria washed into the ground by rain or melting snow are usually filtered out as water percolates through the soil. However, poorly-constructed or unsealed wells, fractured rock outcroppings, sinkholes, and quarries may provide a path for coliform bacteria to enter groundwater.
Once in the groundwater, bacteria can easily pollute drinking water used by private well owners. Other bacteria, viruses and parasites, which can cause illness, can be in water containing coliform bacteria.
Drinking water drawn from private wells should be tested for the presence of bacteria at least once a year or any time there is a change in taste, odor, color or appearance of the well water.
Nitrate Although nitrate is found naturally in many types of food, high levels in drinking water pose a serious acute health threat for infants less than six months of age. Nitrate is changed to nitrite in the stomachs of small infants. The nitrite then interferes with the blood's ability to carry oxygen, and symptoms of suffocation or blue baby syndrome can occur. This problem generally does not affect older children or adults. Research is underway to ascertain if nitrate causes chronic illness.
Sources of nitrate include fertilizer infiltration in agricultural areas, animal feedlots, sewage absorption fields, municipal and industrial wastewater, urban drainage and decaying plant debris. Underground soil and bedrock structure and the direction of groundwater flow influence when and where nitrate is found. In some areas nitrate contamination may be associated with other groundwater contaminants.
A nitrate test is recommended for all wells and is essential for wells serving infants under six months of age. If the levels are over 10 mg/l (milligrams per liter or parts per million expressed as "N"), the water should not be fed to infants under six months of age, or used to prepare formula. Nitrate is not believed to be a health concern for a pregnant woman or her fetus. Adults concerned with the yet incomplete and inconclusive research results regarding chronic illness, may wish to reduce consumption of water high in nitrate.
If nitrate levels are less than 5 mg/l, retesting every few years should be adequate. If the results are between 5 and 10 mg/l, more frequent, perhaps annual testing can be considered to monitor fluctuations in nitrate concentration. Concerns about seasonal concentration fluctuations can be satisfied by quarterly testing. If additional sources or amounts of nitrate occur in the nearby area, also consider retesting for nitrate.
Lead Paint Indication Test
Lead-based paint is hazardous to your health!
Lead-based paint is a major source of lead poisoning for children and can also affect adults. In children, lead poisoning can cause irreversible brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can retard mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also retard fetal development even at extremely low levels of lead. In adults, it can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. Lead poisoning may also cause problems with reproduction (such as a decreased sperm count). It may also increase blood pressure. Thus, young children, fetuses, infants, and adults with high blood pressure are the most vulnerable to the effects of lead.
Home owners can be exposed to lead paint from:
Eating paint chips is one way young children are exposed to lead. It is not the most common way that consumers, in general, are exposed to lead. Ingesting and inhaling lead dust that is created as lead-based paint "chalks," chips, or peels from deteriorated surfaces can expose home owners to lead. Walking on small paint chips found on the floor, or opening and closing a painted frame window, can also create lead dust. home owners can also generate lead dust by sanding lead-based paint or by scraping or heating lead-based paint.
Lead dust can settle on floors, walls, and furniture. Under these conditions, children can ingest lead dust from hand-to-mouth con- tact or in food. Settled lead dust can re-enter the air through cleaning, such as sweeping or vacuuming, or by movement of people throughout the house.
Older homes may contain lead based paint.
Lead was used as a pigment and drying agent in "alkyd" oil based paint. "Latex" water based paints generally have not contained lead. About two-thirds of the homes built before 1940 and one-half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain heavily-leaded paint. Some homes built after 1960 also contain heavily-leaded paint. It may be on any interior or exterior surface, particularly on woodwork, doors, and windows. In 1978, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission lowered the legal maximum lead content in most kinds of paint to 0.06% (a trace amount). Consider having the paint in homes constructed before the 1980s tested for lead before renovating or if the paint or underlying surface is deteriorating. This is particularly important if infants, children, or pregnant women are present.
Owners and Buyers are encouraged to check for lead paint before buying or renovating a pre-1978 home.
Carbon Monoxide - CO Gas Test
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (sometimes referred to as CO) is a colorless, odorless gas produced by burning material containing carbon. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause brain damage and death. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it; but carbon monoxide can kill you. Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America. This odorless, tasteless, and colorless gas is known as the "Silent Killer." The Centers for Disease Control estimates that carbon monoxide poisoning claims nearly 500 lives, and causes more than 15,000 visits to hospital emergency departments annually. Carbon monoxide is produced by common household appliances including oil and gas furnaces, gas and oil water heaters, gas ranges and ovens, gas dryers, gas or kerosene space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves. When not properly ventilated, carbon monoxide emitted by these appliances can build up.
Combustible Gas Test
What is the likelihood of gas leaks in my home?
Approximately 8 out of 10 homes inspected will have gas leakage in one or more locations. Some may only have one or two leaks while others may have six or eight. The majority of these gas leaks are small in nature and pose no immediate danger such as causing the house to explode like in a Hollywood movie, but these leaks are still present and they will be leaking gas continuously indoors, only to be inhaled by the occupant
Wouldn’t I smell gas if it were leaking?
Combustible gas has an offensive odorant added to it to help us smell it when leaks occur. This works well with larger gas leaks but not with small leaks. This is why electronic gas analyzers should be used to detect leakage indoors. These sensitive instruments can not only pinpoint small leaks at their source, but can also reach into areas where we cannot or would not place our noses. Further, there are many problems with the “must smell” theory. For example, a home which had eight gas leaks occurring simultaneously, were not even smelled by those living in the home. There are several reasons for this: First, not everybody has equally good senses of smell. Secondly, there are people who have no sense of smell at all. Thirdly, the ability of humans to perceive a specific odor can be diminished or eliminated immediately after acclamation to that odor. This is why people cannot smell perfume or cologne immediately after applying it on themselves, yet people passing by that individual can smell it just fine. Fourthly, the offensive odorant put into gas tends to dissipate rapidly with small leaks, becoming virtually undetectable even for people who have a good sense of smell. Fifthly, and most important is the fact that small indoor gas leaks can severely affect the health of people and animals living indoors.
Many people heat their homes with natural or liquid propane (LP) gas and may have other gas operating appliances in their homes.
How do gas leaks start?
Gas leaks can remain from oversights during the installation of piping and appliances. More often, they occur from aged sealant at the pipe fittings or dried out grease inside of appliance operating valves. Leaks can also begin from valve handles which migrate loose or from pipes that have been bumped.
How do I get my home checked for leaks?
Leakage checks should be performed with an electronic gas analyzer with the sensor adjusted to be as sensitive as possible. Checks should be performed at the gas meter, pressure relief valve, main shut off, pipeline fittings, appliance shut off valves, and operating controls. All gas burning appliances should be checked including kitchen ranges, clothes dryers, wall heaters, fireplaces, furnaces and water heaters.