Finished Installation of a very powerful Radon removal fan. The home had a level of 74 pCi/l . Initial Installation of radon removal system reduced levels to 9 pCi/l . After removal of initial system and replacement by this fan.. radon levels are now 2.6 pCi/l .
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Native American Miners Merit Workers Compensation
American Indians have spent decades working in Colorado Plateau mines. In order to obtain the soft, yellow uranium ore present, they must operate a drill that plunges deep into the rock. This same uranium which was mined by countless American Indian workers was used inside of nuclear weapons, which were responsible for America's eventual victory during the Cold War.
Meanwhile, these American Indian miners have themselves become casualties of the Cold War as a result of their work. Due to the high level of radiation present in these Colorado mines, many of the workers are suffering from cancer and other illnesses, or have already succumbed to the diseases. Nearly everyone in this community has either lost someone very close to them or are fighting for their own health.
The arms of these miners are webbed with scars caused by dialysis. The dialysis is necessary as many of the workers are already suffering with kidney failure. The majority of workers blamed the drinking water that was in the mines, and traces of radioactive minerals in it have been proven scientifically.
Congress passed the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act in 1990. This act was designed to assist uranium miners that are enduring various health problems due to the work they performed in the radioactive mines. America's nuclear weapons were the primary benefactor of the mining work executed in those mines.
According to the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, each underground uranium miner is given 0,000. The condition being that they experience one of six lung diseases linked to radiation exposure. However, hundreds of Indian miners eligible for this payment, to this day have still not seen a penny.
The reason for this is the compensation law itself has set up almost impossible hurdles for these Indian miners. One such requirement is that the paperwork required must be filled out in English. For many American Indians, English is a foreign language that is not easily understood.
The Office of Navajo Uranium Workers has submitted 242 applications to the US Government, and only 96 of these have successfully gone through. Overall 1,314 former uranium mines claims have been approved by the Justice Department. But there have been an additional 1,316 applications denied.
Check stubs in the form of a record of having work and other documentation are required to prove that a worker had spent so much time working in the mines. However, for many people the damage occurred decades ago and those records have long since been lost or thrown out. In addition, trying to recover the documentation through the authorities has been difficult.
The uranium mines first opened on and around the Navajo Indian Reservation in 1947. At the time, the jobs and occupations which opened up as a result were welcomed. People were happy to have the work despite the low wages and harsh conditions.
Radon poses one of the biggest dangers in the mines. Decaying uranium produces this odorless, invisible, radioactive gas. A majority of the lung issues that have affected these miners was likely cause my exposure to radon, making them candidates for compensation from the government.
Former miners and tribal officials plan to meet with Congress this fall in hopes of making changes to the compensation law so that it is easier for former miners' claims to be approved. The challenge facing the government is that all Navajo miners believe that they are entitled to the compensation based solely on their work.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2011
How Does Radon Get Into My House?
Radon mitigation is an important home service that many homeowners have been learning more about since information about the harmful effects of radon exposure is becoming more prevalent to obtain. As such, realtors and building contractors are informing their customers of radon testing and mitigation because unless a home has been tested there's virtually no way anyone would be able to know whether a home had radon or how much.
The Facts
Radon is a toxic radioactive gas that results from the uranium decay of soil. First the uranium decays into radium only to later release the gas into the air. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates.4 pCi/L (picocuries per liter) as the national average for the outdoor air, while 1.5 pCi/L is the national average for the indoor air.
Radon is considered toxic because it's a proven Class A carcinogen, lung cancer to be exact. It's the second leading cause of lung cancer and causes an estimated 20,000 deaths each year.
Other Class A carcinogens include arsenic, asbestos and benzene. All homeowners are encouraged to learn about the risks and effects of radon exposure in order to better protect against contracting lung cancer. Knowledge is power and before learning about testing and mitigation, it's time to learn how the radon actually enters a home.
Radon in Homes
There are several types of foundations. Of course there's a slab-on-grade, basement or crawlspace and the manufactured homes-- and all can have high radon levels.
According to the National Association of Home Builders, one in six homes in the U.S are being built with radon resistant systems, which amount to about 200,000 homes each year. When considering the counties with the high estimated radon levels, one in every three homes is built with a radon resistance system.
Although this doesn't explain how radon enters into a home, it shows how any home is susceptible and that some builders are accommodating to this growing need to prevent radon exposure. However, not every builder does and it's worth asking-- if interested.
How Gas Enters
Gas can enter a home through the foundation because the uranium is within the soil. Once the uranium decays and the radon gas enters into the air beneath or around your foundation, it will enter your home through even the slightest crack or hole.
Radon commonly enters a home because of the stack effect, a natural process involving the rotation and influx of air. Many know that warm air rises, but that's only part of the process. Once the warmer air rises and escapes through the top of the home, the unconditioned and cooler air from the outside replaces this escaped air. This unconditioned air that enters the home is what can carry the radon.
The air is being pushed around because of the difference in pressure from inside and outside the house. Since the inside pressure is lower than outside pressure, the radon and other air is pulled in like through a vacuum through any cracks and holes. Radon gets trapped inside and builds up.
Testing and Mitigation
The safest option for any homeowner is to hire a radon mitigation expert to test the home. Whether the levels are above the EPA's action level of 4.0 pCi/L or if they're below, an expert can mitigate the home to reduce the levels as much as possible. In addition, be sure to inquire about maintenance checkups and what you can do to keep your home a safe place from radon.
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Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Don't Mess Around with Radon!
"Long Road Ahead: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0" creativecommons.org (outtro music) Like, Comment and Subscribe! This is Truth vs Falsity where I discuss facts and misconceptions (rarely) and then add educomedy to it. Fan Page: www.facebook.com Twitter: twitter.com For Important stuff, personal message me Chat with me at skype (same username)
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