For radon reduction work, you should always consider the use of contractors who are certified in a radon proficiency program. To get a copy of the Radon Mitigation Contractor Proficiency List for the state, call one of the Wisconsin Radon Information Centers toll free at 888-569-7236 ( 888 LOW-RADON ), or access the National Environmental Health Association's Radon Proficiency web page. http://search.freefind.com/find.

Radon is a noble gas which means it does not stick to anything including furnace filters, so filters will not reduce radon levels. Filters will capture radon decay products which are charged particles. There is some discussion among experts that this may reduce the health risk but the furnace fan would need to run continuously and filter every occupied room. The EPA does not recommend radon remediation using filters. A large percentage of the humidity in a basement is from soil gas infiltration. See similar questions...

There is a treatment used to bring down high blood lead levels. Certain medicines combine with lead so the body can get rid of it more easily. The doctor will decide if a child needs this treatment. The best way to lower an elevated blood lead level is to prevent continued exposure to lead. See similar questions...

Unfortunately, sealing slab cracks and openings does not generally have any significant effect in home indoor radon concentrations. This seems strange because we know that radon is mixed in soil gas and it is pulled into the house through cracks by slight pressure differences caused by wind, temperature differences and fan action. See similar questions...

of our post mitigation test results are less than 2.0 pCi/l. The remaining systems are between 2.0 and 3.9 pCi/l. See similar questions...

The EPA has radon maps that show what the general risk of radon is in each county of each state. EPA Zone maps Air Chek, one of the largest radon test kit suppliers in the country provides a graph of how many homes in a state have elevated radon levels. Air Chek state radon levels Regional 3 EPA, which covers Pennsylvania, has state maps with radon levels broken down by zip code. Region 3 zip code maps The PA DEP provides the highest and average radon level for each zip code in Pennsylvania. See similar questions...

The EPA recommends that the average radon exposure rate not exceed 4.0pCi/L. In New Jersey, 30% of the homes tested are found to in excess of 4.0 pCi/L. See similar questions...

High blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, which are lipids (fats), are related to a higher incidence of heart disease. Thus, physicians recommend keeping your cholesterol and triglyceride levels down. Especially important to control is your low density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. The high density lipoprotein (HDL) form, or "good" cholesterol, is protective, while LDL form is destructive to the arteries. See similar questions...

Answer this first by asking: Have you retested to confirm that the levels are actually too high? In other words, if a short-term test (2-7 days) was used, did you conduct an additional test and the average of the two tests taken or was the reading from a long term test taken for 90 days or more? Radon levels can vary from day to day so conducting one short-term test may not reflect the true level of your home. See similar questions...

If the test was short-term and below 10 pCi/L, retest in the same location with a long-term test device to determine the long-term concentration. If the initial test exceeds 10 pCi/L, retest in the same location with a short-term device. Radon mitigation should be performed if the average of two short-term tests or one long-term test is at or above 4 pCi/L. See similar questions...

Radon exposure is based on a combination of how long you are exposed and the radon level. In general it is not necessary to ventilate a house unless the mitigation system cannot be installed in the next few weeks and the radon levels are very high (greater than a hundred pCi/l). The best ventilation is leaving a basement window continuously open and/or a bedroom window open at night. See similar questions...

EPA has a number of programs already in place that will help reduce emissions from power plants, cars, and other sources of emissions that lead to the formation of fine particles. We have also proposed programs to reduce power plant emissions and to reduce emissions from non-road diesel engines in construction, agricultural, and industrial equipment. See similar questions...

Cockroach management and control is best accomplished by removing sources of food and household food wastes. Foods should be stored in sealed containers. Every attempt to reduce access to water should be made such as fixing leaking faucets or preventing condensation on pipes. Improving ventilation to eliminate damp areas is helpful. Caulking or sealing cockroach access and entry points is also helpful. See similar questions...

Radon is a cancer-causing radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Any home can have a radon problem. In the U.S. it is estimated that nearly 1 out of 15 homes has an elevated radon level. See similar questions...

It may not be easy. I suspect that the record-keeping of the state is frustrated by some measurement and mitigation guys' desire to keep their success quiet and private. However it is not important if a town has lots of radon or not. Radon can always be fixed. And the fixes are usually very reliable. Radon is likely more often found at higher concentrations in a basement or at ground level. My major radon concern is in bedrooms, children's play rooms and the rooms where invalids may be. See similar questions...

The technical solution to smoke in the home seems relatively simple: either stop smoke getting into the home or remove it from the home. The healthiest option is to cook with a cleaner fuel such as liquid petroleum gas. For the urban poor this could be an option as the cost of cleaner fuels maybe just as cheap as buying firewood. The main problem is the up front costs needed to cook on cleaner fuels. Gas comes in large bottles that poor people cannot afford to buy. See similar questions...

Most people are exposed to dioxin through the food they eat. We believe that background levels of dioxin in food do not compromise the safety of the food supply. For additional information, please see the web site prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Dioxin (IWG) or refer to the European Union Food Monitoring page on this site. See similar questions...

Yes. Some systems may be able to reduce arsenic levels by cleaning up or changing the source of their water. For example, some arsenic contamination results from leaching from old waste dumps, mines or tailings, or from past use of arsenic-containing pesticides. In other cases, arsenic in drinking water is caused by continuing industrial pollution. See similar questions...