Date Published: 09/05/2006 [Source]
Those beautiful rolling hills of Rockingham County may come with a cost.
Because of the geological makeup of the state's Piedmont and mountain regions, Rockingham, along with seven other counties in the state, has the potential for higher levels of cancer-causing radon gas.
Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is released into the atmosphere when radium and uranium, two naturally occurring radioactive substances, decay. Radium and uranium are more highly concentrated in gneiss, schist and granite, all of which are types of rock found in the Piedmont region of North Carolina.
Radon gas is normally released into the atmosphere; however, it can seep through cracks in foundations and build up inside of homes, schools, and other structures.
According to a National Academy of Sciences report, prolonged exposure to radon causes 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
Radon is measured in picocuries, a unit of radioactivity, per liter of air (pCi/L). According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average indoor radon level nationwide is 1.3 pCi/L. However, in Rockingham County, the Radon Program predicts the indoor radon level to be 3.98 pCi/L.
That level can vary greatly, even from house to house, and any reading above 4 pCi/L is considered dangerous. According to the EPA, a reading of 4 pCi/L means that 23 out of every 1,000 persons exposed to that level could develop lung cancer. That risk is increased for smokers.
Radon test kits are available at most hardware stores as well as the Rockingham County Cooperative Extension office and the Department of Health.
"If there are problems, there are mitigation methods" to reduce the levels of radon, Martin said. Those include sealing cracks in basements and foundations and installing fans that draw air out of buildings.
Martin said that many homes are now built with radon-resistance in mind. Allowing air to circulate properly means that there won't be a buildup of the gas.
Of the eight counties in the state with projected radon levels higher than 4 pCi/L, Rockingham is at the bottom of the list. The highest is Watauga, with a projected average of 8.06 pCi/L. At 8 pCi/L, the EPA estimates that 45 out of every 1,000 people exposed would develop lung cancer.