Radon is a fundamental element of IAQ, and with awareness of radon on the increase, concerns continue to rise. This column will provide an update on the industry and address specific and relevant technical issues within the expanding industry of radon measurement and mitigation. Comments and contributions are welcome!

INDUSTRY TRENDS: Large Projects

As administrators of the National Environmental Health Association’s National Radon Proficiency Program (NEHA NRPP), our staff hears from radon professionals and consumers located all over the country. There are a number of recurring themes.

Radon measurement and mitigation at Department of Defense installations, both stateside and abroad, are experiencing significant increases. Projects are primarily performed through indefinite quantity contractors, who provide broad based environmental services such as lead, asbestos, underground tanks, and now radon. These contractors typically sub-contract to other firms, who in turn sub-contract to firms with certified radon professionals.

On a somewhat smaller scale, but higher volume, is an increased demand for radon testing during resale of multi-family dwellings and commercial properties. Some mortgage companies are requiring radon testing of apartment buildings before purchase and sometimes, during re-financing. Other financial institutions require that radon reduction measures be incorporated into the initial construction of apartments, as a condition of obtaining construction loans.

What does this mean?

The radon industry should be getting ready for another increase in growth and change. Bigger players are entering the radon industry. Without radon capabilities, contractors will not qualify for a wide scope of environmental work. Contracts for large measurement surveys and mitigation repairs will require additional amounts of insurance, more detailed health and safety plans, and a lot of paper work. Other trades and professionals may increase their scope of services to include radon. Within the NRPP, we are seeing an increase in participation of larger construction firms, plumbing contractors, and contract managers.

Current radon professionals may not be able to take advantage of an expanding market without formalizing their businesses. Bids are often reviewed from a distance: a contract officer may have nothing more than paper work to base his or her decision upon. If a business is not certified or does not have insurance, a business can be knocked out of the running, regardless of experience. If a business wants to play in this market, either as a prime or sub-contractor, it is time to get paperwork in order including certification, QA/QC plans, calibrations, and health and safety plans.

TECHNICAL CORNER: Testing Large Buildings

An increased demand for testing large buildings has given rise to many inquiries about applicable measurement protocols. Protocols for testing schools already exist, and can be used to address other large buildings.

The U.S. EPA Radon Measurements in Schools, (EPA-402-R-92-014) includes consideration of unbalanced HVAC systems, which can cause significant variations in radon readings from one room to the next. The same condition occurs in other large buildings. It is not advisable to take a random sampling of rooms – an approach that may work for asbestos when consistent building materials exist, but doesn’t work for radon. Each occupied ground floor room with floor-to-ceiling walls should be tested (see the school protocols for more details). It is important to remember that all occupied ground floor rooms should be tested simultaneously.

Given that radon can follow pathways under a building to an entry point, it is logical to assume that an apartment building with many ground floor units can have significant variations from unit to unit. Fire-resistive walls separate the units so each one behaves like a separate house. Therefore, a random sampling of units within a complex would not be prudent. There is no need to test upper level apartments during an initial survey.

During large radon surveys it is important to include an adequate number of duplicates (10 percent), blanks (5 percent), and spikes (3 percent). Some testers exceed this by insuring that at a minimum of one duplicate and blank is included with each tested building - regardless of the number of units. Testing large buildings involves a high degree of liability, something that good QA/QC can reduce.

Apparently, some mortgage companies allow random testing as a screening measurement. But to minimize the potential for missing elevated rooms, avoid random sampling in large buildings!

With some planning and training, environmental firms can take advantage of the rise in demand for radon services.