Ever since the late 1980, Radon, and protecting against it, has been a huge media circus. The hysteria around it and the very real dangers it poses to your health have been largely focused around airborne radon. Essential, radon can creep in from the geological bowels of the earth, making its way into the lower levels of the household and ultimately becoming airborne and penetrating the lungs of its inhabitants. When this problem is left unaddressed it can lead to incredibly serious health conditions.
The public health scare and subsequent media outrage largely focused on airborne radon. Airborne radon can seriously cause health issues, don't get me wrong, but waterborne radon has been long overlooked, and is a completely understated threat. Now that many are testing their water and see considerable levels of radon in it, the question is asked: How can we reduce radon levels in our drinking water?
Radon first enters the water stream deep underground. There are a couple ways this can happen, but any system in which water is pumped out of the ground and into water towers or reservoirs can be a culprit. Once radon has made its way into water, it is hard to get out, and will never just leave the water though any natural process.
Once water has been pumped into the house, the radon held within it can escape into the air without warning, and this can lead to all the same sorts of issues that airborne radon can in the first place. Certain activities are particularly efficient at dispersing waterborne radon, and these include showering, washing dishes, and washing clothes. The EPA has estimated that somewhere between two and five percent of household airborne radon made its way into the household through the tap. The media hasn't picked up the dangers of waterborne radon, but the EPA has continually stressed the dangers of leaving high levels of radon unattended.
Several elements such as radon are radioactive, and this means that at any moment (once in a half life, actually) the particle will bust open, spewing radioactive particles into their surroundings. Realizing the difficulties of testing requires an elementary knowledge of the atomic structure and alpha and beta radiation, but for our purposes, it suffice it to say that radiation is easier detected in air then it is in water. The best way to test for radon is to get a sample of the water in question and rush it to a lab. This lab can run several kinds of probing tests on the sample, and in order to get good readings, they need to do this before the radon decays any further.
In order to get rid of this radon, should it exist, consumers have a few options. The basic process is called "aeration" and it takes most of the radon out of water softener before it makes it into the house and becomes airborne.
Home aeration systems expose incoming water to an air filled tray that gives all the radon a chance to bounce out of the water supply before it enters the house.
Spray aeration systems do a similar thing, but use a nozzle to mist incoming water into a huge tank. Once the water is misted, it gets a much greater surface area, and is much more prone to letting go of its radon particles. These particles, once in the air, can be blown away into a vent to carry it off.
Packed column aeration units use the geometry of a pillar to increase surface area of the water flowing through it. A blower then blows air across the water and leaches out any radon. This radon-air water softener is then carried by the pressure gradient, away from the water.
All methods of radon filtration work, and they can all decrease the likelihood of radon related health problems. If you know you have high radon levels in you home, act before you put your loved ones at risk.
The public health scare and subsequent media outrage largely focused on airborne radon. Airborne radon can seriously cause health issues, don't get me wrong, but waterborne radon has been long overlooked, and is a completely understated threat. Now that many are testing their water and see considerable levels of radon in it, the question is asked: How can we reduce radon levels in our drinking water?
Radon first enters the water stream deep underground. There are a couple ways this can happen, but any system in which water is pumped out of the ground and into water towers or reservoirs can be a culprit. Once radon has made its way into water, it is hard to get out, and will never just leave the water though any natural process.
Once water has been pumped into the house, the radon held within it can escape into the air without warning, and this can lead to all the same sorts of issues that airborne radon can in the first place. Certain activities are particularly efficient at dispersing waterborne radon, and these include showering, washing dishes, and washing clothes. The EPA has estimated that somewhere between two and five percent of household airborne radon made its way into the household through the tap. The media hasn't picked up the dangers of waterborne radon, but the EPA has continually stressed the dangers of leaving high levels of radon unattended.
Several elements such as radon are radioactive, and this means that at any moment (once in a half life, actually) the particle will bust open, spewing radioactive particles into their surroundings. Realizing the difficulties of testing requires an elementary knowledge of the atomic structure and alpha and beta radiation, but for our purposes, it suffice it to say that radiation is easier detected in air then it is in water. The best way to test for radon is to get a sample of the water in question and rush it to a lab. This lab can run several kinds of probing tests on the sample, and in order to get good readings, they need to do this before the radon decays any further.
In order to get rid of this radon, should it exist, consumers have a few options. The basic process is called "aeration" and it takes most of the radon out of water softener before it makes it into the house and becomes airborne.
Home aeration systems expose incoming water to an air filled tray that gives all the radon a chance to bounce out of the water supply before it enters the house.
Spray aeration systems do a similar thing, but use a nozzle to mist incoming water into a huge tank. Once the water is misted, it gets a much greater surface area, and is much more prone to letting go of its radon particles. These particles, once in the air, can be blown away into a vent to carry it off.
Packed column aeration units use the geometry of a pillar to increase surface area of the water flowing through it. A blower then blows air across the water and leaches out any radon. This radon-air water softener is then carried by the pressure gradient, away from the water.
All methods of radon filtration work, and they can all decrease the likelihood of radon related health problems. If you know you have high radon levels in you home, act before you put your loved ones at risk.
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Keep reading on filters to remove fluoride and cleaning your water to learn more ways to make sure your water is prisitne and safe.
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