By Art Nash
Every day, Alaskans are exposed to radiation. Some is non-ionizing and detectable by sound, heat or sight through radios, microwaves, ultraviolet light (as well as visible lights) without harm.
There’s also ionizing radiation, which can damage flesh and cause mutations of genes depending on its intensity and the amount of time of exposure. While we don’t hear or see this type of radiation, it can have direct health effects from the energy it emits in the form of alpha particles, beta particles and gamma waves when decaying.
While there are human-enhanced ionizing radiation emissions from nuclear weapons fallout, releases into the air/water from power plant operations, or material accidents at medical facilities, which we don’t have immediate control over, there are naturally occurring ionizing sources that you can protect yourself from within your own means. Some examples are X-rays at the doctor’s office or radon gas in your home. The latter comes from underground uranium decay in porous soils through some foundations, sources that are not detectable before a home is built and operational.
The alpha particles that radon emits are relatively weak, which makes them all the more dangerous as far as getting detected. At least when residents are exposed to beta particles and gamma waves, they often have immediate effects such as skin burns or radiation sickness.
With radon, however, the alpha particles come into the body through about 20,000 breaths per day. When the particles bombard soft, supple lung tissue, they can without evidence damage and eventually metastasize into cancer cells. One hallmark of lung cancer is that it often advances to fatal stages before being detected, as early ill effects may not be noticed.
The good news is that while we cannot change the amount of uranium that may lie under our home, nor be able to compact or fill soils after it is built, we can block radon from coming into the home’s breathing space at the foundation level, as it only comes through cracks and gaps. The alpha particles aren’t even strong enough to penetrate copier paper, let alone cement plug/caulk, intact vapor barrier. The other option is to install a pipe through your basement floor that can act as a chimney to evacuate the radon beyond the living space of the house.
The only way to know if you have concerning radon levels in your home is to test for them. The good news about the extended winter we are having is that it’s perfect for the average homeowner to test their home yet in early April! The short-term tests can be found in stores for about $25 or free from the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys. They are easy to use and mail off to a lab.
While as individual homeowners we have no control over exposure to the beta and gamma ‘heavyweights’ of radiation, we can easily and cost-effectively test (even multiple times) for the alpha particles from radon.
As with many health concerns, the risk of radon gas going cancerous can also be decreased by not being exposed to tobacco smoke (as they often work together in increasing risk of lung cancer). Don’t take your indoor air purity for granted!
Art Nash is the UAF Cooperative Extension energy specialist. Contact him on healthy homes topics at alnashjr@alaska.edu or 907-474-6366.
