Lehigh Valley radon reading breaks weeks-old Pennsylvania record set nearby, officials say

Radon tests

Radon tests are displayed in February 2008 in Edison, New Jersey.

(Star-Ledger File Photo)

A Lehigh County home has registered the highest home radon level ever measured in Pennsylvania, the state

announced Wednesday.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says this map is designed to help target resources and implement radon-related building codes. Zone 1 has the highest potential of indoor radon screening levels greater than 4 pico curies per liter, while Zone 2 has a moderate potential and Zone 3, a low potential. Homes with elevated levels of radon have been found in all three zones, the EPA notes.

The concentration of the colorless, odorless gas linked to lung cancer measured in the Center Valley home, in Upper Saucon Township, was 3,715 picocuries per liter, or pCi/L. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends remediation for any dwelling or structure with a radon concentration of more than 4 pCi/L, to lower the radon concentration.

Wednesday's announcement follows an alert last month from the DEP about several Upper Saucon Township homes recording high levels, including one that set a then-record of 2,750 pCi/L.

The DEP says other Upper Saucon homes have registered concentrations of more than 1,000 pCi/L. Pennsylvania law prohibits the department from publicly disclosing the address of private residential test results.

The DEP along with EPA and township officials are holding an informational open house on radon 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Upper Saucon Township Municipal Building, 5500 Camp Meeting Road. Also slated to attend is Bill Brodhead, president of WPB Enterprises Inc., a radon-mitigation company in Springfield Township, Bucks County. Brodhead is also an instructor in radon-mitigation certification at Rutgers University, and his company has cut radon at a New Jersey home from more than 3,000 to 2.2 pCi/L and an Easton home from 1,400 to 2.5 pCi/L, according to the company's website.

He said he has worked in radon mitigation since 1982 and helps the United States military address radon at bases overseas, including in South Korea and Guam.

"It's a worldwide phenomenon," he said.

Any home is a candidate for radon reduction, though factors can complicate the installation of systems. There are two main goals in installing a radon-mitigation system: running the piping to remove the gas and sealing any crevices where it can infiltrate. A home with a finished basement, for example, can make it more costly to get the job done.

"We try and fix houses with one fan, but it may take multiple suction points to draw the gas out from underneath," Brodhead said.

Many new homes are built with the piping integrated into the home, requiring only the installation of fans to begin removing the dangerous gas, said Brodhead's wife and business partner, Sherry Brodhead. Existing homes can be retrofitted with radon-mitigation systems by drilling suction holes into the foundation and piping it outside, where it quickly dissipates in the air, she said.

Radon has become a concern in homes as insulation techniques have improved, better sealing up homes against the elements but also trapping indoor air, Sherry Brodhead said.

"Radon levels manifest themselves in a home in the winter months, when the home is sealed up," said Colleen Connolly, spokeswoman for the DEP.

The radioactive gas occurs naturally through the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks, and it can enter a home through cracks in the foundation or other openings. According to the EPA, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Pennsylvania and causes about 20,000 lung-cancer deaths every year in the United States.

The Lehigh Valley is on the cusp of a geological formation called the Reading Prong that generates high levels of radon, Connolly said.

The DEP says it first observed elevated radon levels in Upper Saucon Township homes in September and, in response, sent letters to more than 500 Center Valley area residents with a coupon for a free test kit. The department has also contacted the Southern Lehigh School District to ensure that radon testing has occurred or is planned in area schools.

"We've always monitored our radon level," said Diana Millman, administrative assistant and school board secretary for the district.

The township building is being tested for radon, said Joseph Geib, township special projects coordinator.

Most test kits can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores at an average cost of $15 to $25 per test, according to the DEP; the cost of a mitigation system typically ranges around $1,000.

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