Unlike many sites out there who shy away from posting opinions that differ from their own, we prefer to embrace the difference of opinion as one of two things, or both:

1. As a chance to learn more about a topic and alter our views if necessary because we found out new information.

2. As a chance to learn more about a topic and provide additional information we may not have already known about the topic here on the Water Testing Blog.

Today’s difference of opinion came to us from a gentleman by the name of ‘Keith’ who wrote, “You stated ‘Radon gas in homes can wipe out whole families and the victims never even know the gas existed before it happens. ‘ This is total B.S. I have studied Radiation effects in people since 1969 and there is no known case of this ocurrance. Prove it.”

First of all, thank you, Keith for contacting us.

Upon reading our own statement, perhaps we may have over-dramatized things a tiny bit, but then again, perhaps not. According to a page on the United States Environmental Protection Agency web site (www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html), “Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, according to EPA’s 2003 Assessment of Risks from Radon in Homes (EPA 402-R-03-003).”

The numbers of deaths from other causes are taken
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s
2005-2006 National Center for Injury Prevention
and Control Report and 2006 National Safety Council Reports.

The EPA’s web site goes on to say, “Radon is estimated to cause many thousands of deaths each year. That’s because when you breathe air containing radon, you can get lung cancer. In fact, the Surgeon General has warned that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today. Only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths. If you smoke and your home has high radon levels, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.”

So, while radon doesn’t run up into homes with both barrels of a shotgun blazing as it takes human life, it does seem to kill quite a few people — with both the USEPA and Surgeon General of the United States in agreement that radon poses a significant health risk to humans.

Earlier this year we wrote about a residential neighborhood called the Acreage in Florida because of the unusually high incident rate of cancer and tumors in children living in the area.

At one point residents and officials suspected that radon may have played a part in making people ill (Radon a Suspect in Florida Tumor and Cancer Cases). Outcry in the community prompted the State of Florida to launch an investigation (State of Florida Agrees to Environmental Testing in Acreage Homes Area).

Now, after meeting with residents in the area, going over their histories, testing their water and testing their soil… the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health has concluded that living in the Acreage has nothing to do with the unusually high number of brain and central nervous system cancer cases in the area.

In a nutshell, the State of Florida can’t find anything to explain the rash of illnesses.

ACREAGE – The State Health Department’s cancer cluster investigation in the Acreage is coming to an end, with no answers for the hundreds of residents desperate to know why their area is experiencing a higher than usual rate of cancer.

A report released today indicates testing on water and soil samples is over.

Following countless hours of review and concurrence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Florida Department of Health officials say there’s nothing they can definitively point to as a source of the pediatric brain and central nervous system cancers in the community.

They also determined that having a longer residency in the Acreage posed no higher risk for brain tumors among its children.

Health experts analyzed the history and lifestyle of 13 Acreage families, whose children and teenagers have been diagnosed with cancer.

The group formed to keep an eye on the suspected cancer cluster disbanded just last week. ( source )

So what does Water Testing Blog think about the situation in Acreage? Quite frankly it SCARES us in ways we cannot explain.

Not to sound like the Twilight Zone, but imagine, if you will, that your children and your neighbors’ children have all developed serious and potentially life threatening conditions… and no one can figure out why.

Hopefully someone will figure out why those poor people have gotten sick because in all honesty, if such a ‘random and unexplainable’ spike in cancer can occur there, what would stop it from happening where WE or YOU live?

Plan of action for the rest of us?

In all honesty, we can never truly test for every possible contaminant that could find its way into our drinking water. We can only test for the things most likely to show up on a regular or semi-regular basis and have a ‘full’ analysis performed by a certified water testing lab at set intervals.

The average person has a number of options when it comes to testing their own water. The easiest way, aside from having someone else do the testing, usually involves the use of a test kit from companies like SenSafe and WaterSafe.

You will find several examples of popular home water testing kits from each manufacturer below:

Water Quality Test Kit from SenSafe

Water Metals Test Kit from SenSafe

Arsenic Quick Test Mini-Kit from SenSafe

In the end, though, and as we ALWAYS suggest, if you have serious reason to suspect your well water or municipal/public water supply may have become contaminated, seek the expertise of a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Laboratories.

Many people believe radioactive material only comes from nuclear power plants, submarines, etc., but in actuality, it has existed on the planet long before any of man’s creations — and once in a while it shows up in well water.

The detection of radioactive material in well water, though it sounds scary, does not always mean people ought not drink the water… as residents in Darlington County, South Carolina have recently found out.

DARLINGTON—The Darlington County Water and Sewer Authority has taken a well that supplies drinking water to some county residents out of service after tests by state health officials found levels of naturally occurring radioactive contaminants that exceeded the maximum level allowed by the state.

But officials with the agency say the water is still safe to drink.

…

Officials have taken the well with the highest level of contamination out of service, according to the notice. If authority officials are able to reduce the level of contaminants in that well, it may go back into service. If not, it will remain out of service, according to Jerry Stutts, operations manager for the water and sewer authority.

Water from the two remaining wells is being blended with water from two other water treatment plants to reduce the levels of contaminants, Stutts said.

…

Tests by DHEC at the end of December found levels of two radioactive materials, Radium 226 and Radium 228, that exceed the maximum contaminant level set by the state, according to Stutts. Both are naturally occurring elements in the earth, Stutts said. As ground water moves through underground aquifers, the two elements are absorbed in the water, the agency’s public notice to customers says.

The average level of the two elements found in the tests was 6.1 picocuries per liter. The maximum allowable level is 5.0 picocuries per liter, Stutts said.

A picocurie is a small amount of radioactivity associated with about one trillionth of a gram (a picogram) of radium, according to the notice to customers.

The notice to customers said there is no immediate risk from the contaminants but said that some people who drink water containing Radium 226 and Radium 228 in excess of the maximum contaminant level over many years may have an increased risk of cancer. (source )

The levels of radiation picked up in the testing sound pretty low, if you ask us, but we commend the health officials in Darlington County, South Carolina for taking prompt action and notifying residents of the situation.

Another Water (and Air) Invading Substance…

Radon gas in homes can wipe out whole families and the victims never even know the gas existed before it happens. Therefore, we suggest all home owners check for the presence of radon gas on the first floor and in basements a few times a year, with more frequent testing preferred.

About a month ago we reported that environmental testing had detected elevated levels of radon in a residential area called The Acreage in Florida… and that 13 families in the development had children who currently suffer from or did suffer from brain tumors or cancer. The Palm Beach County Health Department also conducted in-depth interviews with 12 of 13 families. They did not, however, come up with any definitive explanations for the cluster of cancer cases observed.

Radon Suspect in Florida Tumor and Cancer Cases

Now, after months of back-and-forth between the families, the Health Department, and various State Officials, it appears as though the State of Florida will step in and perform its own testing and hopefully find a reason for all the illnesses.

THE ACREAGE – State officials will test the water and soil at cancer-stricken children’s homes in The Acreage, said the Florida Department of Health’s chief of staff.

That decision, which the children’s families had sought for months, was disclosed Friday.

“If they want us to test it, we will,” said health department Chief of Staff Robert Siedlecki Jr.

“Wonderful,” said Tracy Newfield, whose daughter had a brain tumor removed when she was 11. “They’ve had our medical records and had our approval to test whatever they want.”

Gov. Charlie Crist pledged Thursday to seek federal help to investigate whether something has caused higher-than-normal rates of pediatric brain tumors and cancer, particularly among girls, in The Acreage. ( source )

While the families whose children fell ill and other families in the area applauded the State’s decision to intervene…

Senate President Jeff Atwater, R- North Palm Beach, also expressed sympathy.

“My heart goes out to the Acreage families who are experiencing the heartache of cancer,” he said in a statement. “I cannot imagine the pain these parents, grandparents, children and their loved ones are feeling. I support the calls for further investigation and thank Governor Crist for committing to get to the bottom of this.” ( source )

… while others felt the State had no reason to get involved and indicated that the inconclusive nature of results from previous testing did not immediately warrant another round of (more in-depth) environmental testing.

However, state environmental officials tested water last year to help the health department. Its samples from 50 wells chosen randomly in The Acreage indicated a few homes had elevated levels of radium and other radioactive substances that could result from natural causes.

The same study concluded ground water quality in The Acreage was “generally good.”

Palm Beach County’s heath director, Dr. Alina Alonso, said investigators’ interviews had not turned up a cause and that it didn’t make sense at this stage to run tests looking for one. ( source )

No matter how you look at it, every family in that area has suffered. Whether in the form of illness, stress over not knowing if a loved one may suddenly become ill, or greatly diminished property values because no one wants to move into a suspected cancer cluster, no family in that area has escaped unscathed.

All of us here at Water Testing Blog hope the State of Florida can get to the bottom of things and help those folks out.

Can a Person Test for Radon at Home?

Absolutely. Test kits exist for detecting the presence of radon in air and in water. One can also install radon mitigation systems to reduce and/or remove radon from a building.

Below you will find links to other articles on the topic of radon in the air, radon in the water, ways to test for radon and ways to get rid of radon:

• Radon Gas Can Kill Whole Families… Slowly
• Test Kits for Radon in Water and Radon in Air
• Radon Test Kits (for New Jersey)
• Radon Removal Systems

No one likes to hear the words ‘cancer’ or ‘tumor’… especially when discussing the health of children. Unfortunately for the residents of a Florida community, those words and children have gone together way too often.

Health officials now suspect that elevated levels of radon in the area’s drinking water may have played a part in causing at least a dozen cases of brain cancer or brain tumors and have started testing water from area wells, interviewing residents, and conducting in-depth environmental testing.

THE ACREAGE — Health officials will roll out more environmental tests to determine whether a common factor — radon — could be the cause of a suspected cancer cluster in The Acreage.

The Palm Beach County Health Department plans to screen for the radioactive gas in the homes of a dozen families whose children were diagnosed with brain tumors or brain cancer in recent years.

…

Investigators would complete the radon tests within the next few weeks, after health officials wrap up a month of exhaustive interviews with families of the dozen Acreage children who were diagnosed with brain tumors or brain cancer from 1993 to 2008.

Radium produces radon — a radioactive gas, known to cause lung cancer — when it decays in rocks, soil and water. If elevated levels of radon are found in a home, that could indicate that sources of excessive radiation exist.

Based on samples they took randomly from 50 Acreage homes last year, state environmental officials concluded that some homes in The Acreage have wells with elevated levels of radium and other radioactive substances, which could be from natural causes. ( source )

Below you will find links to other articles on the topic of radon in the air, radon in the water, ways to test for radon and ways to get rid of radon:

• Radon Gas Can Kill Whole Families… Slowly
• Test Kits for Radon in Water and Radon in Air
• Radon Test Kits (for New Jersey)
• Radon Removal Systems

Mentioning the topic of radon in water or radon in air always results in people asking for ways to test for radon. Soon afterwards we receive emails from people asking how they can remove radon from the air and/or water in their building.

Below you will find links to Radon Mitigation Systems.

Alarm: Radon Gas Detector/Monitor 0.1 to 999.9 pCi/L EPA Approved ProSeries 3 (HS71512) w/Digital Display & 85dB Horn		$129.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 3″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 40 to 60 watts (GP201) 82 CFM		$219.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 3″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 55 to 90 watts (GP301) 92 CFM		$229.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 3″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 60 to 110 watts (GP401) 93 CFM		$239.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 3″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 70 to 140 watts (GP501) 95 CFM		$249.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 4″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 14 to 20 watts (RP140) 134 CFM		$147.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 4″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 37 to 71 watts (RP145) 173 CFM		$149.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 4″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 45 to 60 watts (XP151) 180 CFM		$154.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 4″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 45 to 66 watts (XP201) 125 CFM		$159.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 6″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 52 to 72 watts (RP260) 275 CFM		$174.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 6″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 65 to 105 watts (XR261) 230 CFM		$194.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 6″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 86 to 140 watts (RP265) 327 CFM		$199.95
Radon Away Mitigation Fan: 8″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter 110vAC, 103 to 156 watts (RP380) 510 CFM		$239.00
RadonAway High Suction Fan: 3″ Inlet 2″ Outlet Diameter 105 to 195 watts (HS3000) 40 CFM		$1,475.00
RadonAway High Suction Fan: 3″ Inlet 2″ Outlet Diameter 150 to 270 watts (HS2000) 110 CFM		$1,495.00
RadonAway High Suction Fan: 3″ Inlet 2″ Outlet Diameter 180 to 320 watts (HS5000) 53 CFM		$1,495.00
RadonAway High Suction Mitigation Fan: 3″ Inlet/Outlet Diameter White Rectangular Exterior 70 to 130 watts (GP500) 88 CFM		$379.95
Spruce Dryer Boosting Fan Kit: 4″ Duct, 130 CFM at 0″ WC (RB110) with Pressure Sensing Switch & Remote Sensor Probe		$229.00
Water Mitigation System: AiRaider™ 321, up to 10 GPM 3/4″ (RA-28196) 115V Diffused Bubble Aeration Radon/VOC Removal System		$2,450.00
Water Mitigation System: AiRaider™ 433, up to 15 GPM 3/4″ (RA-28171) 230V Diffused Bubble Aeration Radon/VOC Removal System		$3,495.00
Water Mitigation System: AiRaider™ 433, up to 15 GPM 3/4″ (RA-28172) 115V Diffused Bubble Aeration Radon/VOC Removal System		$3,450.00
Water Mitigation System: AiRaider™ 433-1, up to 20 GPM 1″ (RA-28180) 115V Diffused Bubble Aeration Radon/VOC Removal System		$3,955.00
Water Mitigation System: AiRaider™ 433-1, up to 20 GPM 1″ (RA-28182) 230V Diffused Bubble Aeration Radon/VOC Removal System		$3,995.00

A while back we posted links to radon testing kits. Just recently someone made us aware that residents of New Jersey have specific rules and guidelines which determine the radon testing kits they must use. For that reason we tracked down some kits that residents of New Jersey can use to test for the presence of radon in their homes. See below.

Alarm: Radon Gas Detector/Monitor 0.1 to 999.9 pCi/L EPA Approved ProSeries 3 (HS71512) w/Digital Display & 85dB Horn		$119.95
New Jersey Long Term Radon Test Kit (AT-NJ) Includes 3 Test Units with State Fees Included		$99.95
New Jersey Radon Gas in Water & Air Combination Test Kit (rn-DLX-NJ) with Lab Analysis Included		$199.00
New Jersey Radon in Water Test Kit (rn-h2o-NJ) NJ State Fees Included		$34.95
New Jersey Short Term Radon Test Kit (LS-NJ) Includes 3 Test Vials with State Fees Included		$79.95

If after having the air and/or water in your home tested for radon you WILL want to have it removed. To get rid of radon you will most likely need to install some sort of Radon Mitigation System.

Previously on this site we wrote a posting on the dangers of radon in the home. We have since gotten flooded with requests from homeowners to post links to places where they can get more information on radon and acquire home radon test kits.

IMmediately below you will find links to test kits for radon in water. Pretty much any home or dwelling that draws its water from a well or other groundwater source ought to check for radon periodically.

Radon Gas in Water Test Kit (rn-h2o) with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-h2o		$24.75
Radon Test Kits: Radon Gas in Water (25 pack) with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-h2o-25		$575.00

The next table contains links to radon in air test kits. Pretty much any home or dwelling with a ground floor or basement ought to check for radon periodically.

Electronic Radon Gas Detector & Monitor 0.1 to 999.9 pCi/L (HS71512) Pro Series 3, EPA Approved, Digital Result in 48 Hours w/85dB Alarm  Model Number: pro3		$150.00 $119.95
Radon Gas in Air Test Kit: Long Term, 3 to 12 Month Period (AT100) Alpha Track with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-AT100		$22.55
Radon Gas in Air Test Kit: Short Term (rn-can) 4″ Calibrated Canister w/Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-can		$12.99
Radon Gas in Air Test Kit: Short Term (rn-LS) Scintillation Vial w/Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-LS		$12.95 $9.99
Radon Gas in Water & Air Combination Test Kit (rn-dlx) Long & Short Term with Radon Awareness Booklet; Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-dlx		$59.95
Radon Monitor: Electronic Continuous Radon Monitor (RS300) Radstar CRM w/Key Lock & Tamper Resistance  Model Number: RS300		$795.00
Radon Monitor: Electronic Continuous Radon Monitor (RS800) Radstar CRM w/Key Lock & Tamper Resistance  Model Number: RS800		$3,895.00
Radon Test Kits: Long Term (12 pack) 91 to 365 Days (rn-AT-12) Alpha Track with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-AT-12		$239.00
Radon Test Kits: Short Term (100 pack) Liquid Scintillation Vials (rn-LS-100) with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-LS-100		$844.00
Radon Test Kits: Short Term (24 pack) Liquid Scintillation Vials (rn-LS-24) with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-LS-24		$219.95
Radon Test Kits: Short Term (25 pack) 4″ Charcoal Canisters (rn-CAN-25) with Lab Analysis Included  Model Number: rn-cans25		$249.00

Every once in a while you might hear a news report about the dangers of radon gas or hear about a terrible tragedy caused by radon gas. If you don’t know anything more than that about radon gas, then please keep reading.

One of the scariest facts about radon gas deals with its ability to amass in substantial concentrations in a person’s home without them ever seeing, smelling or tasting it in their air or water supply. radon has the ability to build up to toxic levels without anyone in the home knowing — unless they perform periodic testing.

What harm does radon cause?

In a word, CANCER. Persons exposed to radon have a signifigantly higher risk of developing lung cancer than those not exposed to radon.

Radon causes lung cancer, and is a threat to health because it tends to collect in homes, sometimes to very high concentrations. As a result, radon is the largest source of exposure to naturally occurring radiation. ( source )

Where does radon come from?

Radon, like other dangerous and potentially toxic substances like arsenic, occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust. You can potentially find radon anywhere, but yet it has few definable geological indicators which make it more prevalent in one place than in others.

Radon (chemical symbol Rn and atomic number 86) is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soils, rock, and water throughout the World. It has numerous different isotopes, but radon-220, and -222 are the most common. Radon is one of the heaviest gases, has a half-life of 3.823 days and emits alpha particles … Radon-222 is the decay product of radium-226. Radon-222 and its parent, radium-226, are part of the long decay chain for uranium-238. Since uranium is essentially ubiquitous in the earth’s crust, radium-226 and radon-222 are present in almost all rock, soil, and water. ( source )

How can I test for radon in my home?

Two main classes of radon detection kits exist: Short Term and Long Term. Short term radon test kits measure radon levels over a shorter period of time and provide a more immediate assessment of radon risk while long term radon test kits build a profile of a dwelling’s exposure to radon over time.

Which radon test kit will work best for my needs?

The short term radon test will let you know your current radon exposure level and will work great for anyone moving into a new home, new apartment, etc.

Experts then recommend long term radon testing take place after an initial short term test so that residents may learn when radon tends to enter their building, if in fact it does.

Do I have to test for radon ever again?

Unless you have no fear of lung cancer, of course you should test for radon on a regular basis. You should also test for radon if you have work done to your home, build an addition, or plan on having someone occupy a floor lower than where previous radon testing took place.

Why would I test for radon in water?

While a large percentage of radon enters homes in an airborne fashion, it can also enter a home through its water supply especially if the home uses a well. Radon has the ability to enter groundwater as easily as arsenic… and health officials advise periodic water testing for BOTH of those parameters.