Radon is Not the Only Soil Gas that can Cause Serious Harm to Indoor Air Quality
By Tim Wilkerson

Since January is National Radon Action Month, much will be done to alert homeowners about the dangers of this natural but deadly soil gas. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will remind us that radon is responsible for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths annually. And the World Health Organization (WHO) will warn that the rampant enemy of indoor air quality is a global problem.

But lost in the important outreach announcements will be an obvious but rarely discussed truth: Radon is only one of many soil gases that can seriously damage the health of those who live in single-family homes.

This is not to suggest that basement waterproofing and crawl space sealing contractors should not join this month's action plan. By all means suggest that clients visit http://www.epa.gov/radon/ to learn more about radon and how to test for its presence. But don't stop there.

Consider where each home, new or old, is located. It is no secret that large farm tracts have been transformed into suburban neighborhoods in recent decades. Unfortunately, the beauty of the new homes and summer lawns blind inhabitants to what may lurk below the surface: agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides, which include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, fumigants and rodent poison. These pollutants can be the cause of serious respiratory problems, nausea and skin irritations, to name a few.

Also, large farms require the use of heavy machinery. Therefore, oil leaks and spills are not out of the ordinary, and underground fuel storage tanks are a given. Too often these dangers have not been properly mitigated before the bulldozers begin landscaping the new sub-division.

Sewer gas, a complex mixture of toxic and non-toxic gases, is another potential danger to homeowners, depending on location. This type of gas is created as household and industrial waste decay. Sewer gas can easily enter a home through exposed crawl space floors, unsealed sump pits, and basement floor and wall cracks.

Although sewer gas smells like rotten eggs even when concentrations are low, don't rely on odor as a warning signal. Why? Extremely high concentrations can actually interfere with the sense of smell. Therefore, homeowners may unknowingly ingest hydrogen sulfide, a poison that can irritate the eyes and respiratory tract. Nervousness, dizziness, nausea, headaches and drowsiness may follow.

Capped landfills and former industrial sites also may be the source of health risks. In Detroit, for example, investors hope to reclaim the city's distant agricultural past by transforming old factories into gardens and small farms. But city officials warn that preparing the land for food - and families - will take time and a serious soil reclamation program.

The myriad of soil gas-related health risks does not mean contractors cannot help homeowners defend against air pollution. Proper testing at intervals outlined by the EPA is, of course, essential. Next, seal all potential points of entry and install a basement or crawl space ventilation system that is failsafe. This method requires "pulling a vacuum" beneath the basement floor or crawl space vapor barrier so that soil gases and moisture cannot enter the living environment.

In other words, designing a system that properly manages the natural build up of moisture and soil gas is the best way to take part in National Radon Action Month - in January and every month that follows. Make it happen soon so that the days to come are as green and healthy as possible.