Mold and radon: Potential enemies of your health

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August 15, 2007

Mold and radon: Potential enemies of your health

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200770814100

by Dave

Whether in the garage, a shed or in the basement, most guys have a place with

hammers and a soldering iron and a Mason jar full of assorted screws, nuts and

washers. In my case, it's a basement, where I pretend to be creative or to fix

things. It's also a space that I share with an ebb and flow of mold and radon

gas.

The dog days of summer are winding down, leaving a clamminess that invites mold

to grow. Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent mold from entering the house.

It spreads by microscopic spores that float like dust. When they land in a place

with the right temperature and moisture level - such as the nooks and crannies

of a basement - they settle in and proliferate.

Mold can produce allergens, irritants and even deadly substances such as

mycotoxins. Just breathing or touching mold or mold spores can cause a reaction

in sensitive people, and lead to asthma attacks in some.

Bleach will clean it, but as always, prevention is better. The simplest " stitch

in time " is dryness. A dehumidifier or air conditioner will sap the moisture out

of the air and not give the mold spores a chance to grow. Indoor humidity should

stay around 55 percent, though between 30 and 50 percent is better. A hygrometer

- as cheap as $2.99 on the Internet - will measure the humidity and indicate

when it's time to dehumidify.

Another health concern for basement-dwellers is radon gas. The EPA estimates

nearly one in 15 homes has elevated radon levels. Exposure ranks only behind

smoking as a cause of lung cancer.

Radon is radioactive, a byproduct of decaying uranium in nearly all soils. North

Carolina's state radon officer estimates that 31 percent of homes in Buncombe

County have the potential for dangerously high levels of radon. County

checks in at 45 percent.

Radon enters our homes in several ways. Primarily, it moves up through the

ground into our homes through cracks and holes in the foundation. Radon gets

trapped inside the home, creating a health risk if exposure is for an extended

period.

Radon testing kits are available online for $10. High levels of radon can be

mitigated with a ventilation system. A search of the Yellow Pages under " Radon "

reveals 11 firms specifically dealing with radon mitigation.

My basement shop is my little world away from the world. I plan on keeping an

eye on its air quality, though, and recommend similar vigilance on the part of

other subterraneans.

Readers can write to at P.O. Box 2090, Asheville, NC 28802; phone him at

236-8973; or e-mail him at drussell@....