Tag Archives: radon exposure

PHYSICIAN’S IN IOWA HAVE A GUIDE FOR RADON

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Radon in Iowa is Radon Mitigation in Iowa by AmeriServa health threat. The US Environmental Protection Agency
has provided a guide to the physician’s of Iowa as to the the risks and
consequences of exposure to radon. The radon levels in Iowa are some of the
highest in the country. The entire state of Iowa is in the red zone,
meaning that every county in Iowa has above average radon levels.

Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. Radon is
released by uranium-bearing rocks and soil as the uranium undergoes natural
radioactive decay. The gas moves through the soil and reaches the outdoor
air and can accumulate under the slabs and foundations of homes and
businesses. The radon will enter the home or business through cracks and
openings, and becomes trapped inside. This can cause high indoor
concentrations. When this radon is inhaled, it can become a danger to the
lungs. Radon is the second cause of lung cancer, second only to cigarette
smoking. Here are some of the ways that radon will enter your home or business:

  • Cracks in concrete slabs
  • Floor-wall joints
  • Spaces behind brick veneer walls that rest on uncapped hollow-brick foundation
  • Mortar joints
  • Loose fitting pipe
  • Open tops of block walls
  • Pores and cracks in concrete blocks
  • Exposed soil, as in a sump
  • Weeping drain tile, if drained to open sump

Physician’s are well aware of how radon can affect the health of their
patients. That is why they encourage patients to test for radon levels in
their homes. Knowing the levels in your home and having radon mitigation if
the levels are over 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) is important. AmeriServ
Radon Mitigation of Iowa can come and test your home or business and offer
radon mitigation if we find the levels to be high.

SOLUTIONS FOR HIGH RADON LEVELS

The professionals at AmeriServe Radon Mitigation of Iowa has the testing equipment and mitigation solutions for you in Iowa. We have short term testing and long term testing. The short term testing is used when there is a need to know the results quickly as in a real estate deal. There are a few method of doing short term testing:

  1. Charcoal canisters
  2. Electret ion chamber
  3. continuous monitors
  4. Liquid scintillation

Long term testing will last for 90 days or longer. The benefit of long term testing is that it will give a more accurate, year round average of the radon levels in your home. This prevents false negative or positive results because of a peak or valleys in the radon levels.

After testing, if the levels in your home or business are above 4pCi/L, the experts at AmeriServ will perform radon mitigation. The process of radon mitigation removes radon from your home and expels it to the outdoor air. To do this, we drill a hole in the foundation or slab, creating a suction point. Then a PVC pipe is connected through the hole to use as a vent for the radon gas. A fan is then connected to this system to ensure air flow in the right direction. this is usually installed in the attic of your home.

Don’t let radon in your Iowa home become a health issue for you and your family. Let AmeriServ conduct radon testing and give you the solution you need to remove the radon from your home or business.

AmeriServ Radon Mitigation of Iowa has a team that has been professionally trained by the State of Iowa and is certified by the Iowa Department of Public Health. Don’t hesitate to contact us for your radon testing and radon mitigation needs. We have the solution for you! Contact us today!

 

The Costs and Benefits of Radon Test in Iowa

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Radon Testing Can Save you Something More Important than Money – It Can Save Your Life.

You may think that getting radon testing done in your Iowa home, business, church, or school will be expensive, but this is not necessarily true. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa offer long-term tests, short-term tests, and radon kits.

Long-term tests stay in your home for about 90 days. These tests are administered by our professionals. These tests give an accurate representation of what your home’s radon gas levels are year-round.

Radon testing costs and benefits in Iowa

Short-term tests stay in your home anywhere from 2 to 90 days (depending on the specific device). These tests are also administered by our professionals. These give a result that represents the levels during that time. Radon gas levels may fluctuate throughout the year, and from season to season.

If it is found that your home has higher radon gas levels than the allowable 4.0 pCi/L after taking a short-term test, it is likely that you will have to take another short-term test, or a long-term test, just to be sure.

The last type of testing is a radon kit. These are tests that are administered by you. They are the cheapest, and one of the quickest ways to test for radon gas levels in your home, business, church, or school. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa offer these radon kits for only $15.00!

Radon tests are the best way to know if your Iowa home, business, church, or school is falling victim to high radon gas levels. Radon gas is a dangerous gas that can not be seen, smelled, heard, or tasted. Because of this, the only way to tell if you are being affected by it is through regular testing.

Radon gas is dangerous because it can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer. In fact, on average about 400 Iowan deaths a year are caused by lung cancer due to high radon gas levels. So, getting a simple radon test could save your life. Paying a little money, and taking a little bit of your time could save your life, so do not wait!

The Side Effects of Radon

The entire state of Iowa is in “Zone 1” which basically means that all of Iowa is likely to have elevated levels of radon gas. In fact, about 5 out of 7 Iowa homes are likely to have high levels of radon gas. Because of this, radon testing in your Iowa homes, businesses, churches, and schools is even more important. Some ways to tell if you could be experiencing the side effects of radon gas include:

  • Persistent cough
  • Wheezing
  • Heavy breathing
  • Lung infections

These are also early signs of lung cancer, so if you experience these health problems, make sure to consult your doctor immediately, and get your home tested by us here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa. If we test your home and your results come back as high levels of radon gas, we offer a mitigation service to install mitigation systems.

To learn more about our radon testing or mitigation services, our service area, or to schedule a radon test, give Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa a call! We want to help you feel safe and healthy in your Iowa home. Contact us today!

Radon Exposure and Radon Poisoning in Iowa, What you Should Know

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Why is Radon Exposure so High in Iowa?

Most people have probably heard about radon, and how it is a dangerous gas that can not be seen, smelled, heard, or tasted but why are radon levels so high in Iowa? And how did they get that way?

Well, during the Ice Ages, when glaciers would move, they would pick up rocks from what is now Minnesota, Ontario, and Wisconsin and move them into Iowa. Many rocks house uranium and radium, which then releases radon. When the glaciers moved, they pummeled the rocks and broke them up, causing the rocks to release their radon gas.

For those that do not know why radon gas is such a bad thing, here are some facts:Radon exposure in Iowa

  • An estimated 400 deaths per year in Iowa are caused by radon-induced lung cancer.
  • The entire state of Iowa is located in “Zone 1” which basically means that Iowa is extremely likely to have elevated levels of radon gas.
  • The U.S. EPA has set the allowable radon level at 4.0 picoCuries per liter of air (that is the measurement for the amount of radon gas in the air).
  • The average measurement of radon in buildings around Iowa is 8.5 pCi/L. This is more than six times the national average. As well as over double what the EPA has set for the allowable level.
  • It has been found that about 5 in 7 homes in the entire state of Iowa have elevated radon gas levels.

Radon Poisoning in Iowa – Protect Yourselves Now

Because of these facts, all homes, businesses, and schools in the Iowa area should get radon tests. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa want to make sure your homes, businesses, and schools are safe for its inhabitants. We offer radon testing as well as mitigation services. These services will help you protect and prevent your home, business, or school from high levels of radon gas, keeping people safe and healthy.

While regular tests are smart, we want you to know the signs and symptoms that may mean radon levels are high in your home, business, or school. Some of these signs and symptoms include:

  • Persistent cough
  • Wheezing
  • Heavy breathing
  • Lung infections

These can also be very early signs of lung cancer, so if you experience these symptoms you should contact your doctor as soon as possible, as well as contacting us at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa so we can possibly rule out the possibility of radon gas. If we test your home for radon gas and the results come back positive we can install a mitigation system into your home, business, or school. This will dispel radon gas from your structure.

To learn more about our radon gas testing or our mitigation services, our service area, or to schedule a test, give us a call today. We here at Ameriserv Radon Mitigation of Iowa want to help you feel safe and healthy in your home, business, or school. Contact us today!