Well Water Aeration Treatmentfor the elimination of Radon, Hydrogen Sulfide odors, and Methane
Radon is dangerous in even the smallest quantities. If you have radon in well water the danger to you comes when you breathe it in the shower or while standing at the kitchen faucet. Some scientists express the view that any exposure to any radon at all is extremely dangerous. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Some scientists suggest that any exposure to radon should be avoided: 'There is no clearly safe level of exposure to four of the most common environmental toxins in the world, and more should be done to protect the public, researchers argue in a new report. The toxins in question -- lead, radon, tobacco smoke and byproducts of drinking-water disinfection* -- are ubiquitous, and there is growing evidence that even low-level exposure can have health consequences, according to the report, published in the medical journal PloS Medicine. 'Emerging evidence indicates that exposures must be virtually eliminated to protect human health,' conclude Dr. Donald Wigle, of the University of Ottawa in Canada, and Dr. Bruce Lanphear, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Ohio. The problem, Wigle told Reuters Health, is that there are no known safe levels of exposure to these toxins, yet people are persistently in contact with them. 'These are widespread exposures,' he said. 'They're not rare.'
The most effective treatment for the removal of radon from well water is aeration. Such a system will vent the gas to the outside air before the water enters your home. Carbon filters are also used for radon removal but I have found that their effectiveness depends on a variety of factors including flow rate and water temperature. To learn more about the aeration system I use to eliminate radon from well water you may Request specifications and pricing for Sweetwater's Well Water Aeration System. This system will also remove other gases such as high levels of hydrogen sulfide odors and methane. Radon is a radioactive gas. Here is how it decays:
222Rn will alpha decay (half life of 3.8 days) into 218Po If you inhale radon it is said to decay through these stages in your lungs, with each stage being radioactive until the last one which is a stable lead isotope. Note that the decay process takes over 22 years to become stable. Take note of another portion of the excerpt cited above (from the Dec 2005 issue of Plos Medicine): 'The two remaining toxins he and Lanphear highlight -- secondhand smoke and radon -- also have no apparently safe level of exposure. Radon is a natural radioactive gas found in soil, air and ground water that is known to cause lung cancer. Radon levels in homes and other buildings vary widely, and health officials recommend that people whose homes have radon levels exceeding 4 picoCuries per liter of air take action -- such as increasing ventilation. But again, Wigle and Lanphear note, there are studies suggesting that radon exposure below this level increases the risk of lung cancer.' (Note: If you have radon in your water, your exposure will come when the water is used such as in the shower or at the sink) SOURCE: PloS Medicine, December 2005.
The way to prevent this of course, if you have radon in well water, is to vent it outside the home. Carbon systems that are used to capture radon will experience this decay process internally and the carbon will become radioactive. That may only present a danger if you have extremely high levels of radon in well water or when you dispose of the carbon. To learn more about the aeration system I use to eliminate radon from well waterl you may Request specifications and pricing for Sweetwater's Well Water Aeration System. This system will also remove other gases such as high levels of hydrogen sulfide odors and methane
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What's in YOUR Water?
James P McMahon ecologist |
