Radon is an odorless, colorless, and radioactive gas that forms through the natural breaking down of uranium in soil, water and rocks. The gas escapes from the ground through cracks and other holes in your home’s foundation. Your home traps the gas and with time, it builds up in plenty and can have adverse effects on those breathing it. Radon gas is said to decay into radioactive particles that can get trapped in the lungs leading to lung tissue damage and potential lung cancer.
Colorado is known as Zone 1 when it comes to the presence of high radon gas levels. Nearly 73% (that is every 3 out of 4 homes) of all homes in Colorado have high levels of the gas. The EPA recommended action level is 4 pCi (picocuries) of radon per one liter of air, meaning that any level higher than that requires mitigation.
Here are several counties in Colorado with the highest radon levels and reasons why they have plenty of it;
These are the counties that bear the highest recorded average radon levels. Particularly, the Pikes Peak region is the most affected area within Colorado as it has high levels of the noxious gas. The counties in this list generally give an average indoor radon screening level of more than 4pCi/L. They include;
Boulder County
Chaffee County
Cheyenne County
Clear Creek County
Delta County
Denver County
Dolores County
Douglas County
El Paso County
Elbert County
Garfield County
Gilpin County
Grand County
Gunnison County
Huerfano County
Jackson County
Jefferson County
Kiowa County
Kit Carson County
Lake County
Larimer County
Las Animas County
Lincoln County
Logan County
Mesa County
Moffat County
Montezuma County
Montrose County
Morgan County
Otero County
Ouray County
Park County
Phillips County
Pitkin County
Prowers County
San Miguel County
Sedgwick County
Summit County
Teller County
Washington County
Weld County
Yuma County
Reasons for high radon levels in the above Colorado counties
As said earlier, radon is naturally occurring. It is a byproduct of decomposing uranium, a metal commonly found in the ground across many areas of Colorado, mostly in trace amounts. The presence of this metal in most of the counties is the sole reason for high recorded levels of radon gas. When the uranium in the ground decomposes, it releases radon gas as a by-product. The gas then escapes from the ground and into the open air as well as house’s indoors.
The Pikes Peak granite has unusually large concentrations of uranium. However, it is hardly enough to be mined and therefore it being left there contributes largely to the heavy presence of radon gas in the area.
“The geological makeup of the entire Colorado state includes huge deposits of granite and naturally occurring uranium, making it a perfect breeding ground for radon,” says Katherine Lemon, a public information specialist working with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Materials division.
Additionally, most of Colorado’s deep wells have been found to have high levels of dissolved radon, contributing greatly to cases of stomach cancer as a result of contaminated water ingestion.
During the cold months, the potential for high radon gas levels reaches its maximum because windows and doors are locked tight to keep out the winter’s chill. Make sure to test your house for radon levels especially in this season and have mitigation done if the levels are above the acceptable level.
If it is so bad why don’t they do something when they build new houses?
Great question! We are happy to see more and more Colorado municipalities requiring radon-resistant construction in new homes. Hopefully soon it will be required across the board.
Thank you,
When purchasing or selling a home in Colorado, in the high radon known counties, have it written as a law to conduct radon testing before they sell or purchase?
B
Very Informative Article!! Radon Gas is not something that should be ignored, living with radon exposure for a long time can cause health issues and can lead to harmful health problems, Proper radon system should be installed in homes to take care of this gas and testing should be done to protect our loved ones.