57 Ways - 43. Reduce Radon Levels

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57 Ways To Protect Your Home Environment (and Yourself)

Caring for the Home Landscape

1. Aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn
2. Cut the grass without gas
3. Prevent insect, disease, and weed problems in the garden
4. Identify fruits and vegetables that need fewer pesticides
5. Select native trees and shrubs that will thrive in your yard
6. Keep your tress healthy and safe
7. Plant “wild” in your backyard
8. Attract birds and butterflies to your backyard

Using Alternatives to Traditional Pesticides & Fertilizers - Where Practical

9. Scout for pests on the landscape
10. Consider microbial insecticides
11. Consider botanical insecticides & insecticidal soaps
12. Conserve beneficial insects
13. Monitor & control insects with traps
14. Use pest barriers in your garden
15. Solarize soil
16. Consider the potential of natural fertilizers

Using Chemicals on the Landscape - If Necessary

17. Know what to ask a lawn-care company and arborist
18. Understand pesticide toxicity
19. Read the pesticide label
20. Apply pesticides accurately and safely
21. Apply fertilizers accurately and safely

Storing & Disposing of Hazardous Chemicals

22. Store hazardous chemicals safely
23. Dispose of pesticides safely
24. Dispose of auto products safely
25. Dispose of paints and solvents safely
26. Dispose of adhesives, areosols, household cleaners & other hazardous waste safely

Managing Yard, Food & Other Household Waste

27. Reduce household waste
28. Recycle paper, glass, & aluminum
29. Reuse and respond
30. Recycle grass clippings
31. Create a compost pile
32. Use yard waste as mulch
33. Dispose of tree residues

Protecting Your Drinking Water

34. Know when & how to test your water
35. Test your water for coliform bacteria & nitrate 36. Test your water for pesticides - if necessary
37. Know the signs of contaminants in drinking water
38. Select effective water-treatment methods
39. Prevent contamination from septic systems
40. Know the pros & cons of bottled water

Protecting the Indoor Environment

41. Prevent contamination by lead
42. Test your home for radon
43. Reduce radon levels
44. Control dust, dust mites & other allergens
45. Reduce pollution from combustion equipment
46. Prevent contamination by formaldehyde and asbestos
47. Recognize tht it's not always necessary to control indoor insects
48. Select the right household pesticide
49. Control household pests with less toxic alternatives
50. Select household cleaners wisely

Conserving Energy & Water

51. Design new homes for energy effciency
52. Save energy in heating & cooling
53. Insulate & seal your home
54. Choose energy-efficient appliances
55. Save money & energy with compact fluorescent light bulbs
56. Use plants & other landscape tools to conserve energy
57. Conserve water in & around the home

43. Reduce Radon Levels
	Most radon-reduction remedies require the skilled services of a professional contractor who has experience, has completed the U.S. EPA’s “radon contractor proficiency” course, and has passed a comprehensive exam in radon mitigation. The following procedures have been tested successfully on homes with high indoor radon levels. Sub-slab suction draws out radon, which accumulates under the concrete slab, and vents it away from the house.
	Sub-slab suction is most effective with foundations built on good aggregate or highly permeable soil. Pumps can be inside the house...
	...or outside the house. However, in some cases it may be difficult to create enough suction to prevent radon from penetrating hollow-block basement walls.
	Some homeowners drain water away from the foundation of their house by perforated pipes called footing tiles. If these drain tiles form a continuous loop around the house and drain into a sump, you can apply suction to the sump. Drain-tile suction pulls radon from the surrounding soil and vents it away from the house.
	A heat recovery ventilation (HRV) system increases ventilation and uses the heated or cooled air being exhausted to warm or cool the incoming air. HRV systems are more effective in reducing radon levels when used to ventilate only the basement. They are generally not used in crawl spaces. With HRV, heating and cooling bills will increase.
	By covering exposed earth with high-density polyethylene plastic, you reduce the flow of radon into the house. Exposed earth in basement cold rooms, storage areas, drain areas, sumps, and crawl spaces is often a major entry point for radon. But covering exposed earth may not be enough to solve your radon problems.
	Sealing cracks reduces the flow of radon into your home and is often used with other radon methods. However, by itself sealing has not been shown to lower radon levels significantly or consistently. It is difficult to find all of the cracks and gaps in your house. Also, settling and stresses can create more cracks, so continuing maintenance is necessary.
	Block-wall ventilation draws radon from the spaces within concrete block before it can enter the home. It is used most often with sub-slab suction. Block-wall suction may not work if you cannot seal the top of the walls, the space between the walls and any exterior veneer, and openings that could be concealed by masonry fireplaces or chimney.