Radon - No this is not chemistry lesson.. its about our life

Get to know about Radon

Trust me... This is not a chemistry lesson. This is something which we all need to know. Have you ever heard of Radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that seeps up from the earth. When inhaled, it gives off radioactive particles that can cause lung cancer. In fact, over 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the US each year are from radon, making it the second leading cause of cancer in the world.
While radon is present everywhere, in outdoors, radon quickly dilutes to very low concentrations and is generally not a problem. Your greatest exposure is where it can concentrate-indoors and where you spend most time-at home. Your home can have radon whether it be old or new, well-sealed or drafty, and with or without a basement.

Am I at risk?
Here is the link to check which Radon zone you are in USA
https://www.epa.gov/radon/find-information-about-local-radon-zones-and-state-contact-information

Here is the link to check global level of Radon
http://www.fixradon.com/maps/pages/D_01_world_radon_by_country.htm

You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. Radon can have a big impact on indoor air quality.

Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over the U.S. It can get into any type of building—homes, offices, and schools—and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.

Radons may be found in drinking water too. Radon gas can also dissolve and accumulate in water from underground sources (called ground water), such as wells. When water that contains radon is used in the home for showering, washing dishes, and cooking, radon gas escapes from the water and goes into the air. Some radon also stays in the water. Based on a National Academy of Science report, EPA estimates that radon in drinking water causes about 168 cancer deaths per year.Radon is not a concern in water that comes from lakes, rivers, and reservoirs (called surface water), because the radon is released into the air before it ever arrives at your tap.

This is what you need to know. If you’ve tested your private well and have a radon in water problem, it can be fixed. Your home’s water supply can be treated in two ways. Point-of-entry treatment can effectively remove radon from the water before it enters your home.Point-of-use treatment devices remove radon from your water at the tap, but only treat a small portion of the water you use and are not effective in reducing the risk from breathing radon released into the air from all water used in the home.

Here is what you need to do.
The easiest way to reduce radon is to keep all the windows of the home open, especially all of the basement windows. Keeping basement windows open helps to minimize the negative pressure within the lower part of the home and helps to dilute the radon. For this to work though, the windows need to be kept open all the time. If not, radon returns to full strength in as little as 6 hours.

Since radon is drawn into the house from the soil, sealing openings in the basement floors or walls with caulk can help to reduce the amount of radon entering the home. If you have a sump pump, seal the lid airtight. Cracks in the basement floors, walls and other openings can allow radon to come in easier so caulking work can make a big difference.

If you are building a new home, be sure to ask your builder to have a "passive" radon system installed during construction. The most effective way to get rid of radon is to install a removal system that draws the radon out of the soil before it even has an opportunity to enter the house. These systems are called "Sub Slab Depressurization Systems" or "Active Soil Depressurization Systems". These systems operate by using a piping and fan system that depressurizes the soil that surrounds the home.

I would like to thank my friend who brought this to my notice and helped me to share about such a serious issue with you all.
If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon
https://www.epa.gov/radon
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/indoorair/radon/
http://www.radonawareness.org/how-to-fix.php
http://www.fixradon.com/maps/pages/D_01_world_radon_by_country.htm
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/pollution/radon

Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

Dryer sheets - The perfumed poison

In countries like India, clothes get dried thoroughly in Sun light as they still will be slightly wet even after getting through the dryer cycle in the washing machine. But here in USA, the dryers are powerful enough to dry the clothes completely. Though they end up with static clings and hard wrinkles on the clothes. Every time we launder, we remember to add dryer sheets and fabric softeners to take away these static clings and to reduce the wrinkles.

Ever wondered what these dryer sheets are? These dryer sheets are loaded with tons of chemicals and then tons of fragrances to suppress the odor of these chemicals. Chemicals that infiltrate the clothes we wear, which in turn get on our skin and absorbed into our body. They cause the worst effects on the younger kids as their skin is soft and more vulnerable to external damages.

Manufacturers are only required to list the ingredients that are active disinfectants (because these are technically pesticides) or known to be acutely hazardous (which to them includes ingredients that cause fires or explosions but not those that cause cancer or developmental diseases). People have shared their pathetic experiences of developing neurological disorders because of the use of such dryer sheets and fabric softeners.

Here is a list of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets(Found by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA):

• Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer
• Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant
• Ethanol: On the EPA's Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders
• Limonene: Known carcinogen
• A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema and central nervous system damage
• Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list
• Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders
• Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic
• Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders
• Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Moreover, these sheets are linked with early puberty in kids(both boys and girls) disrupting their hormonal balance. As you might be knowing, the earlier the kids enter puberty, the longer they are exposed to elevated levels of the hormone, which is a risk factor for certain cancers.

You need to know this.. Even if you are not using dryer sheets for laundering the kids clothes, they may be exposed to these chemicals from bed spreads, towels and your clothes constantly rubbing their skin. Worse is the case of those living closer to the apartment common laundry room vents. They continuously inhale loads of the chemicals even others use. Worst to all, these dryer sheets and softeners play a role in ozone depletion and pollution. Does the fragrance worth it?

Here is what you need to do. There are healthier options available for handling the static cling and to soften clothes. The kitchen rescuer vinegar serves best for softening the clothes. If perfume is your concern, essential oils come handy. Dryer ball is the other alternative. The makers of these rubber balls claim that apart from reducing static cling and softening clothes, these balls reduce the drying time. That's not it.. Even tennis balls do the trick. You can wrap those tennis balls in aluminium foil to get the most out of it. Switching on to these options makes us free from those harsh chemicals and put us back on track.

If you find this article useful, and if you think your near and dear needs to know about this, please care to share.

Sources:

http://www.immuneweb.org/articles/fabricsoftener.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-gavigan/5-secrets-conventional-cl_b_191845.html
http://healthylivinghowto.com/1/post/2013/04/healthy-body-7-toxic-reasons-to-ditch-dryer-sheets.html
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/scented-laundry-products-release-carcinogens-study-finds/
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136119893@N07