Radon Gas

There is about 0.35 pCi/L of radon in the outside air we breathe. Radon comes from the natural radioactive decay of radium and uranium found in the soil beneath the house. The amount of radon in the soil depends on complex soil chemistry, which varies from one house to the next.

Scientific studies show, it only takes enough unsealed cracks or pin holes in the caulking to equal a hole 1/2" in diameter to let all the radon in. Scientists believe radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer. When radon decays, it shoots off alpha particles. These are small, heavy, electrically charged, sub-atomic particles consisting of two protons and two neutrons. If an alpha particle strikes the chromosomes in a lung cell, it could alter the way that cell reproduces. Our bodies’ immune system should recognize and destroy these mutant cells before they can multiply over the next 10 to 20 years into a recognizable cancerous growth cell.

Methods will permanently seal the openings radon needs to enter the house.

• If the house tests above 20 pCi/L most experts agree it is prudent to install a system that can permanently reduce your family’s exposure to radon.
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• If the house tests below 4 pCi/L most experts agree that there is a relatively low probability of significant health risk at this low level of exposure. However, we recommend retesting the radon levels once you move in, to verify this low reading. Industry surveys show that up to 30% of the radon tests in real estate transactions are subject to some ventilation. LET THE BUYER BEWARE
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• Install all fans outside the living area of the house, so all interior piping is under negative pressure. Many contractors find it cheaper and easier to put the fan in the basement near an existing electrical outlet. Often these fans and piping develop leaks. This could allow the system to start pulling the thousands of pCi/L of radon out of the ground and blow it into the basement or crawlspace; thus making the radon levels in the house higher than they where originally.
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• Dig the suction pit under the floor as large as possible, or make sure it intersects the void beneath a grade-beam foundation.
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• Seal crawlspaces with a gas membrane, made of cross-laminated polyethylene, placed between two layers of 30 lb. tar paper, to protect it from damage. Make sure the membrane is tightly fastened to the foundation walls, with plywood strips and sealed with industrial grade urethane caulking. It is cheaper to install one layer of regular polyethylene directly over the soil, and fasten it to the walls with duct tape, glue or caulking.
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There are two basic types of radon gas testing devices, passive and active.

Passive Radon Testing Devices

• Do not need power to function.
• Include charcoal canisters, alpha-track detectors, and charcoal liquid scintillation devices that are exposed to the air in your home for a specific amount of time and are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Active Radon Testing Devices

• Require power to function.
• Continuously measure and record radon in the air, making radon spikes and dips more apparent.
• Include continuous working level monitors and continuous radon monitors.
• Generally considered to be more reliable than passive radon devices.

How Long Should You Test for Radon Gas?

Long term radon tests take more than 90 days, but provide an accurate picture of the average amount of radon in your home. Since time is an issue, home buyers usually perform short term radon with either an active or passive testing device. Most short term radon tests are completed in 48 to 96 hours.

How To Test for Radon

The EPA recommends that you perform radon tests on the lowest level of the home that could be used for living space without doing renovations.

• Choose a room that is used regularly, but do not use the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or a hallway.
• Sometimes two devices are used simultaneously or two 48-hour tests are done back-to-back to help establish average radon levels and to verify that devices are working properly.
• Keep windows and doors in the tested room shut except for normal entry and exit. For tests lasting less than four days, make sure windows and outside doors are closed for at least 12 hours before beginning.
• Do not do short term radon tests during times of high humidity, severe storms, or when winds are high.
• Place the testing device at least 20 inches above the floor so that it is out of drafts and high humidity and will not be disturbed.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions to record starting and ending times. Reseal the tester package and return it to the lab for analysis.

Formaldehyde

Formaldehyde is an important chemical used widely by industry to manufacture building materials and numerous household products. It is also a by-product of combustion and certain other natural processes. Thus, it may be present in substantial concentrations both indoors and outdoors.It is well known as a preservative in medical laboratories, as an embalming fluid, and as a sterilizer. Its primary use is in the production of resins and as a chemical intermediate. Urea-formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde resins are used in foam insulations, as adhesives in the production of particle board and plywood, and in the treating of textiles.

Sources of formaldehyde in the home include building materials, smoking, household products, and the use of un-vented, fuel-burning appliances, like gas stoves or kerosene space heaters,it is used to add permanent-press qualities to clothing and draperies, as a component of glues and adhesives,and as a preservative in some paints and coating products.

In homes, the most significant sources of formaldehyde are likely to be pressed wood products made using adhesives that contain urea-formaldehyde (UF) resins. Pressed wood products made for indoor use include: particleboard (used as sub-flooring and shelving and in cabinetry and furniture); hardwood plywood paneling (used for decorative wall covering and used in cabinets and furniture); and medium density fiberboard (used for drawer fronts, cabinets, and furniture tops). Medium density fiberboard contains a higher resin-to-wood ratio than any other UF pressed wood product and is generally recognized as being the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product.

Other pressed wood products, such as softwood plywood and flake or oriented strand board, are produced for exterior construction use and contain the dark, or red/black-colored phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin. Although formaldehyde is present in both types of resins, pressed woods that contain PF resin generally emit formaldehyde at considerably lower rates than those containing UF resin.

Formaldehyde has been classified as a human carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience health effects such as watery eyes; burning sensations of the eyes, nose,and throat; coughing; wheezing; nausea; and skin irritation. Some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, while others have no reaction to the same level of exposure.

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/formaldehyde

Agarwood

Agarwood Trade and use

Agarwood is used in Arab countries (especially in the Persian Gulf) as incense. In Japan, it is used in Kōdō or "incense ceremony" along with Sandalwood. Agarwood (Aloeswood) was used by the Ancient Egyptians for embalming dead bodies. Agarwood extract is rarely used in western perfumery due to its prohibitive price.

Due to its rarity and the high demand for it, agarwood and its extracts bring high prices. Indiscriminate cutting of trees of the relevant species in the hope of finding agarwood has resulted in depletion of wild trees. Projects are currently underway in some countries in southeast Asia to infect cultivated Aquilaria trees artificially to produce agarwood in a sustainable manner.

In the past, Malaysia was a popular spot for traders to seek perfumes. The native perfumes produced from real woods and petals successfully attracted traders from all over the world, especially from Portugal and Britain. However, the popularity of agarwood in Malaysia faded after the colonization of Malacca.

Today, gaharu (Malay word for agarwood) is becoming more popular in Malaysia. This is due to a movement by En Sulaiman Bin Doss Mohammed Khan, originating in Muar Johor, to create awareness of the precious sources of agarwood in Malaysia especially in Tenggaru and Pahang.