Radon - A Hidden Menace

Ask most people about radon, and they’ll mention something about the testing they had done when buying or selling a property. But that could be a mistake with significant consequences. 

Radon is a naturally-occurring element that forms from decaying uranium – which itself is abundant in eastern New England. Because Ice Age glacial action ground up uranium deposits and mixed them into the soil, radon comes mostly from the soil, but can also come from ledge and rocks. Seacoast-area homeowners are at a greater risk for elevated radon levels in their homes than other areas of the country. And radon exposure is considered the 2^nd leading cause of lung cancer, a type of cancer with particularly high mortality rates.

“People should have their homes tested for radon every five years, since elevated radon levels have been found in one in two homes in York County, Maine, and one in three homes in New Hampshire, said Ed Henningsen, owner of Eliot, ME-based Henningsen Inspections. With a background in home inspections, Henningsen has focused more of his company’s efforts on radon mitigation and energy efficiency audits to capitalize on those high-demand services.

Since Radon is odorless, tasteless, and invisible, it’s easy to overlook. But considering that approximately 13% of lung cancer deaths are estimated to be caused by radon exposure, it’s a costly and often deadly oversight.  Locally, Wentworth Douglas Hospital admits around 100 new lung cancer patients each year, with 10 of those attributable to radon exposure.

“Testing for radon is easy; do-it-yourself kits retail for under $50, or you can get a professional for just over $100,” said Henningsen. “Radon is drawn into homes due to the ‘stack effect’: as basement air warms, it rises, causing the basement to be at a lower pressure than the outside environment. This negative pressure draws in the radon with other ground gases.”

And the short-term costs of radon testing, or even radon mitigation, pale in comparison to the long term inconvenience of delays in the purchase or sale of a home, or the health consequences of exposure. “It’s not that expensive to mitigate radon – most homes are mitigated for less than $1200 – but some go above that,” concludes Henningsen. “But it’s short money to protect you from your doctor telling you there’s a problem with your lungs.”

To help promote his radon testing services regionally, Henningsen Inspections has joined the Green Alliance, a union of over 90 businesses across New Hampshire, southern Maine, and northern Massachusetts which connects green businesses to the area’s burgeoning eco-conscious community. Green Alliance members receive 10% off Henningsen’s radon mitigations quotes, as well as discounts on his home inspection and energy audit services. 

“I think the Green Alliance’s members are pretty keen on environmental health and safety, and I know they’re very much into energy efficiency, which is my company’s second most popular service,” noted Henningsen. “I also act as a conduit between Maine homeowners and the ‘Efficiency Maine’ program, where Maine residents can get up to $2000 in savings to make energy improvements on their home.”

For more information:

Henningsen Inspections: www.henningsen-inspections.com

Green Alliance: www.greenalliance.biz