Test for radon in your well water to avoid health issues like cancer.
Living in the Triangle area means enjoying a beautiful and peaceful environment. However, it’s important to be aware of potential health risks in your home, especially those that cannot be easily detected.
The risk I’m talking about is radon, a naturally radioactive gas that can seep into your home through cracks, gaps, and water. I’ve discussed testing your soil for radon in my last post, and this time, I’d like to warn you about radon in your well water and what you can do to ensure that you and your family are protected.
Why is radon harmful? Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in rocks and soil in North Carolina and is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer. Children are twice as susceptible to its harmful effects as adults. Current and former smokers are ten times more at risk, and children exposed to secondhand smoke are 20 times more susceptible.
“Exposure to radionuclides via drinking water has been linked to various health problems.”
Where does radon come from? It’s created when uranium in the ground decays. Some building materials like sandstone, concrete, brick, natural stone, gypsum, and granite can also contain naturally occurring uranium, radium, and thorium. The only way to know if radon is present is to test for it, as you cannot see, smell, or taste it.
Radon is a major health issue in the North Carolina State Health Improvement Plan. The North Carolina Division of Public Health recommends testing well water for radon, alpha, beta, and uranium. Exposure to radionuclides via drinking water has been linked to various health problems, including stomach cancer from radon, kidney damage and cancer from uranium, and bone cancer from radium.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has excellent resources for all 100 counties in North Carolina for county testing and mitigation recommendations, specifically for radon and radionuclides. Below are four counties in the Triangle with their corresponding recommendations:
- Chatham County: Test for indoor air and well water
- Durham County: Test for indoor air only
- Orange County: Test for indoor air only
- Wake County: Test for indoor air and well water
For more information about radon testing recommendations, please visit the NCDHHS website. This will take you to a page with information and links to factsheets for each of North Carolina’s 100 counties.
Given the health risks associated with radon in homes, we highly recommend testing your home as part of your due diligence process. If you have any questions about this or any other real estate matter, please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] or (919) 759-6359.