Healthy Options 12/6/17

Producer/Host: Rhonda Feiman
Production Assistance: Petra Hall
Studio Engineer: John Greenman

Radon and other Indoor Air Quality Dangers

Guest: Kurt Johnson, past president and current board member of the Maine Indoor Air Quality Council https://maineindoorair.org, and a Certified Residential Mechanical Ventilation Designer and Installer https://www.freshairventilation.com

Key Discussion Points:
a) What is radon, how is it dangerous to us, and how does it cause lung cancer?
b) What have we learned about exposure to radon- small or large- over the years?
c) Should we be unconcerned if we don’t spend time in our basements? If my neighbors’ house has a very low radon count, wouldn’t mine be the same? What are other myths about radon?
d) How can we get our homes tested for radon?
e) What are some ways we might correct a radon problem? What is mitigation?
f) Should only people in Maine be concerned about radon? Are there some areas of Maine and the USA that are worse than others?
g) What are some other important and dangerous indoor air issues we should watch out for, and take actions to prevent or correct?

Related websites of interest:
https://maineindoorair.org (click on “IAQ Info” for specifics on radon and other issues)
https://www.epa.gov/radon/national-radon-action-month-consumer-information
http://www.radonawareness.org/radon-facts.php

Dispels the inaccuracies and myths:
http://www.radonawareness.org/radon-myths.php

Northeast Laboratory Services in Maine, for indoor air quality and more:
http://www.nelabservices.com
Northeast Laboratory radon overview & testing:
http://www.nelabservices.com/services/homeowners/radon-overview.aspx

Also of interest, although from the UK(!)::

Introduction & General Information

Radon in Basements