Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in all over the US and Europe, but it is found in higher
concentrations in some areas that others. It can enter your home through the ground, or through your drinking water. If you live near a hydraulic fracking well, or you live on well water, your risk of exposure to radon is very high. You should purchase a home test kit and test the water in your home for radon. If you find high levels of radon in your water, there are ways to reduce your exposure to it.
Highest sources of Radon exposure in the home
Since radon is heavier than air, you are a lot more likely to be exposed to it in the basement or first floor of your home if you don’t have a basement. Your exposure risk increases in cold weather when you seal up your home. You also face higher than normal exposure risk when you take a shower, since radon can build up in the shower stall. It generally enters your home through cracks or poorly sealed parts of your foundation, and through your water supply. Radon dissolved in water enters your home in greatest quantities when showering, dish washing, and when doing laundry. Showering in an enclosed stall can expose you to an especially high level of radon since the gas will gradually accumulate as you shower.
The EPA hasn’t set a limit for the maximum amount of radon in water, but it recommends taking action if the level of radon in your home is 4 picocuries per liter of air – a picocurie is a millionth of a curie. However, the EPA also acknowledges that there is no safe level of exposure to radon. A radon level of just 2 picocuries represents a several hundredfold higher risk of getting lung cancer than if your home is radon free. The National Research Council estimates that there are 180 cancer deaths per year, concentrated in areas with high concentrations of radon such as Pennsylvania. Your risk of exposure to radon increases if you are on well water, because radon seeps into water while it is below ground. Indoor air concentration generally increases by 1 picocurie for every 10,000 picocuries per liter in a home’s water supply. One test of well water in Pennsylvania revealed that 10% of wells tested had radon concentrations exceeding 5,000 picocuries per liter.
Whole Home Filtration best to Filter Radon from your Water
Radon in water will enter your home from every faucet and appliance in your home, so the only solution is to install whole home filtration. A whole home filtration system attaches to your water supply before it enters the home, it will filter radon out before it reaches your water supply. The EPA recommends using a Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) whole home filter to filter radon. Any filter used to filter radon from water must be changed on a regular basis, because radioactivity from the captured radon will build up over time. The EPA recommends changing GAC filters annually in areas with high radon levels.
Life ionizers may Provide Additional Protection from Radon
Life Ionizers have GAC internal filters so they naturally filter radon, but even removing radon from water doesn’t undo the damage that radiation can do to water molecules. Radiation strips water molecules of electrons, and that turns water molecules into harmful Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) which are a type of free radical that can destroy DNA and tissues in the body. The ionization process used by a water ionizer to make alkaline water fills water with excess electrons. You can even measure that electron charge with a special meter called an ORP meter. Ionized alkaline water from a Life Ionizer has a high negative ORP, which means the water contains a high amount of age and damage fighting antioxidant potential. Ionized alkaline water was originally shown to be radioprotective in research done by the USSR called the Chelyabinsk Project. It was shown that ionized alkaline water could actually act as a chelator and remove radiation from the body.
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