How to eliminate radon gas through ventilation

How to eliminate radon gas through ventilation, Radon is a silent enemy. What is the reason? It is an odorless, tasteless, and invisible radioactive gas that is present in the environment. The decay process of uranium present in the soil since the origin of the planet is responsible. Now, with adequate ventilation, we can minimize its impact on health. Below, we explain how.

What effects does radon have on our health?

Outdoors, radon concentrations usually range between 5 and 15 Bq/m³. However, in certain buildings, it can exceed 10,000 Bq/m³. A real danger to health that goes completely unnoticed.

In fact, according to various studies conducted by this international organization, the risk of developing cancer when that threshold is exceeded increases by 16%. The most common is lung cancer, which in turn has one of the highest mortality rates. To give us an idea, radon is the second cause of this disease in Spain, only surpassed by tobacco consumption.

How to eliminate radon gas from the environment?

Let us start from the premise that radon is transferred to the environment through the soil. Therefore, whenever possible, this regulation requires the installation of protection barriers and ventilated air chambers in new buildings. However, in older homes, this is impossible due to the high cost of construction.

Luckily, there are useful options when the house has been built in an area whose soil is rich in uranium. The first is to improve the sealing of the closures. The other is the use of passive ventilation systems.

The mere act of opening windows to create a draft helps to reduce radon levels in the air. This is something we should do at least once a day. However, it is not always enough or, perhaps, due to the design of the building, it is impossible to do it efficiently.

We should only think of a basement without windows that, in addition, is closer to the ground than the rest of the rooms in the house. In it, the installation of a mechanical ventilation system seems essential. The reason is that it will allow us to evacuate radon to the outside without it accumulating and becoming harmful to health.

The capacity of this mechanical ventilation system will depend on the amount of radon that accumulates in the space. To do this, taking a measurement with a device like the one mentioned earlier is essential.

In short, radon is one of the factors that harm the air quality in our homes. However, unlike what happens with tobacco smoke or that emitted by cars passing by our windows, it cannot be perceived through the senses. A harmful characteristic that can lead to the development of lung cancer and many other potentially fatal diseases. Caring for natural ventilation and resorting to mechanical ventilation when the situation requires it is essential to prevent its effects.