Ever since the late 1980, Radon, and protecting against it, has been a huge media circus. The hysteria around it and the very real dangers it poses to your health have been largely focused around airborne radon. Essential, radon can creep in from the geological bowels of the earth, making its way into the lower levels of the household and ultimately becoming airborne and penetrating the lungs of its inhabitants. When this problem is left unaddressed it can lead to incredibly serious health conditions.
The public health scare and subsequent media outrage largely focused on airborne radon. Airborne radon can seriously cause health issues, don't get me wrong, but waterborne radon has been long overlooked, and is a completely understated threat. Now that many are testing their water and see considerable levels of radon in it, the question is asked: How can we reduce radon levels in our drinking water?
Much like its airborne counterpart, waterborne radon's first step in rising happens deep in the bowels of the earth. Because many peoples water comes from underground wells, aquifers, or groundwater sources, much of the drinking water in America is at risk for this danger. Once radon has taken hold in a water source, it is unlikely to emerge from any natural process.
Radon in the water can find its way out and into the air at any moment, so having built up radon coming in through the tap can be harmful in all sorts of ways. During showering, dish washing, and laundry washing radon can sneak out of the water used in these activities. The EPA has suggested in studies that anywhere from 2% to 5% of household airborne radon came in through the water supply. Although waterborne radon has seen little press, the EPA has published that anywhere past 4 pCi/L of radon in water is considered dangerous, and should be addressed within the soonest possible convenience.
Several elements such as radon are radioactive, and this means that at any moment (once in a half life, actually) the particle will bust open, spewing radioactive particles into their surroundings. The two main kinds of radiation that radon gives off are alpha and beta particles, and they can move very fast when uninhibited by water, but because waterborne radon is actually surrounded by water, testing for radioactivity can be difficult. The best way to test for radon is to get a sample of the water in question and rush it to a lab. This lab can run several kinds of probing tests on the sample, and in order to get good readings, they need to do this before the radon decays any further.
If radon is found to be present, the best way to get rid of it is aeration.
Home aeration systems expose incoming water to an air filled tray that gives all the radon a chance to bounce out of the water supply before it enters the house.
Spray aeration units mist incoming water into a large tank that allows radon to escape into the air. This contaminated air is then blown out from a vent while the clean water is sent on through a pump that restores water pressure.
Packed column aeration units use the geometry of a pillar to increase surface area of the water flowing through it. A blower then blows air across the water and leaches out any radon. This radon-air water softener is then carried by the pressure gradient, away from the water.
All methods of radon filtration work, and they can all decrease the likelihood of radon related health problems. If you know you have high radon levels in you home, act before you put your loved ones at risk.
The public health scare and subsequent media outrage largely focused on airborne radon. Airborne radon can seriously cause health issues, don't get me wrong, but waterborne radon has been long overlooked, and is a completely understated threat. Now that many are testing their water and see considerable levels of radon in it, the question is asked: How can we reduce radon levels in our drinking water?
Much like its airborne counterpart, waterborne radon's first step in rising happens deep in the bowels of the earth. Because many peoples water comes from underground wells, aquifers, or groundwater sources, much of the drinking water in America is at risk for this danger. Once radon has taken hold in a water source, it is unlikely to emerge from any natural process.
Radon in the water can find its way out and into the air at any moment, so having built up radon coming in through the tap can be harmful in all sorts of ways. During showering, dish washing, and laundry washing radon can sneak out of the water used in these activities. The EPA has suggested in studies that anywhere from 2% to 5% of household airborne radon came in through the water supply. Although waterborne radon has seen little press, the EPA has published that anywhere past 4 pCi/L of radon in water is considered dangerous, and should be addressed within the soonest possible convenience.
Several elements such as radon are radioactive, and this means that at any moment (once in a half life, actually) the particle will bust open, spewing radioactive particles into their surroundings. The two main kinds of radiation that radon gives off are alpha and beta particles, and they can move very fast when uninhibited by water, but because waterborne radon is actually surrounded by water, testing for radioactivity can be difficult. The best way to test for radon is to get a sample of the water in question and rush it to a lab. This lab can run several kinds of probing tests on the sample, and in order to get good readings, they need to do this before the radon decays any further.
If radon is found to be present, the best way to get rid of it is aeration.
Home aeration systems expose incoming water to an air filled tray that gives all the radon a chance to bounce out of the water supply before it enters the house.
Spray aeration units mist incoming water into a large tank that allows radon to escape into the air. This contaminated air is then blown out from a vent while the clean water is sent on through a pump that restores water pressure.
Packed column aeration units use the geometry of a pillar to increase surface area of the water flowing through it. A blower then blows air across the water and leaches out any radon. This radon-air water softener is then carried by the pressure gradient, away from the water.
All methods of radon filtration work, and they can all decrease the likelihood of radon related health problems. If you know you have high radon levels in you home, act before you put your loved ones at risk.
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Read more about filters to remove fluoride and carbon filters to learn more ways to clean your water and protect your family.
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