The Air Quality office now has free radon monitors available now for the Grand Portage community. These monitors test the air in the home over a period of time and are then mailed in for analysis. Since home ventilation levels vary over the seasons a one-year test is the most accurate but the detector can be analyzed with as little as a 14 day exposure. Here is how the company describes them:
Each RSSI Alpha-track radon gas detector contains a detector element, called a foil. When radon atoms decay inside the detector, they release alpha particles. If the alpha particles strike the foil, they make microscopic tracks in the surface of the foil. When the detector is analyzed, the foil is chemically treated to enlarge the alpha tracks, which are counted on an automated system. The average radon level is calculated from the number of tracks and the number of days the detector was exposed. This level is reported in picocuries per liter (pCi/L).Radon levels vary in daily and seasonal cycles, and in response to weather conditions and ventilation patterns. For these reasons, it is preferable to make the test period as long as possible. A full year test provides the most reliable prediction of future radon exposure and health risk. However, RSSI's Alpha-track detector can be used for tests as short as 14 days.
Call my office at 475-2027 or stop by at 27 Store Road and I can set one up in your home. If you have any questions about indoor air quality or would like your house tested Just let me know and we can set it up.
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