Moon affects deadly radon levels in homes David Adam, environment correspondent Thursday March 16, 2006 Guardian
Thousands of homeowners could be exposed to higher levels of the deadly gas radon than they realize because of a bizarre interaction with the moon.
Scientists have discovered that natural levels of the radioactive gas, which is thought to kill up to 2,000 people in the UK each year, are affected by changes in the lunar cycle, because it alters the gravitational pull on the Earth.
The study raises doubts about the reliability of home-testing kits for radon, which are often used to show house buyers their new property is safe.
Robin Crockett, a radon expert at the University of Northampton, said: “Somebody could measure radon for a week and show a level about 40% below the true value.” Monitoring is needed for at least 14-15 days, he said, to cover the transition between new moon and full moon.
Companies that make the one-week tests market them as a convenient alternative to three-month with the moon."
But he adds that radon readings close to the safe level should be checked using a longer-term test.tests, which the government recommends.
Radon can cause lung cancer. The gas occurs naturally inside rocks, and seeps from the ground into buildings. Levels vary across the country, but are higher in Cornwall and parts of south-east England.
Dr Crockett and colleagues at the University of Bradford and Northampton general hospital discovered the effects of the moon while carrying out routine radon measurements for the government. Writing in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, they say the lunar cycle changes the amount of stress in the Earth’s crust and drives the water table up and down. Combined with ocean tides, which squeeze and relax the ground, this can change radon emissions during a full moon and a new moon by up to 46%.
The scientists say: “One-week measurements could erroneously indicate that a building with ‘safe’ levels is unsafe, if measured around a tidal-cyclic radon maximum, or that a building with ‘unsafe’ levels is safe.”
Brian Ahern, chairman of the Radon Council, a trade body that promotes home testing, insists the tests are reliable: "I’ve tested radon levels for a year at a time and haven’t detected any changes
If several members would agree to run their continuous monitors right through a full moon (before and after) and offer their readings I would reimburse them for this research and publish it here.
Nick
I wish i had a continous system. I think and have been told that you need to do a test every month to really see the true readings with barometric pressure, snow covered, wet, dry and whatever else. I got an 8 on my home and had a system installed. You buy me a system and i will do some test for you whenever however in diffent homes and in different areas.
I am too new to the HI business to drop the coin on that. I have dropped enough. Just purchased a mold test kit/pump system a month or so ago also.
BHI
Why don’t NACHI buy two continuous monitors, and allow them to run and annotate throughout the entire cycle (or two). Then, at the end of the research period, auction them off on our MB–NACHIbay???
This individual Post is indicative of information that is already available.
There are many State Licensed Radon Firms already operating within the NACHI Organization (as Members) employing CRM technology for Radon Testing that could supply additional data without added expense.
Purchasing equipment to be used by Unlicensed / Untrained individuals will not deliver verifiable results.
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