Study Guide for Radon Measurement Service Provider Course This study guide can help you: • take notes; • read and study offline; • organize information; and • prepare for assignments and assessments. As a member of InterNACHI, you may check your education folder, transcript, and course completions By logging into your Members-Only Account at www.nachi.org/account. To purchase textBooks (printed and electronic), visit InterNACHI’s ecommerce partner Inspector Outlet at www.inspectoroutlet.com. Copyright © 2007-2015 International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, Inc. Page 1 of 370 Page 2 of 370 Student Verification and Interactivity Student Verification By enrolling in this course, the student hereby attests that s/he is the person completing all coursework. S/he understands that having another person complete the coursework for him or her is fraudulent and will result in Being denied course completion and corresponding credit hours. The course provider reserves the right to make contact as necessary to verify the integrity of any information suBmitted or communicated By the student. The student agrees not to duplicate or distribute any part of this copyrighted work or provide other parties with the answers or copies of the assessments that are part of this course. If plagiarism or copyright infringement is proven, the student will Be notified of such and Barred from the course and/or have his/her credit hours and/or certification revoked. Communication on the message Board or forum shall Be of the person completing all coursework. Page 3 of 370 Introduction Welcome to InterNACHI's free online Radon Measurement Service Provider course. Upon successful completion of this course, the student shall Be able to: • comprehend the fundamentals aBout radon gas; • understand the science of radon and radioactivity; • communicate health risks of radon exposure; • perform radon testing according to measurement protocols; • perform an inspection of a radon mitigation system; • understand the requirements for NEHA-National Radon Proficiency Program certification; • understand the requirements for former USEPA Radon Proficiency Programs; • perform an inspection of radon prevention Building techniques; • take the NEHA National Radon Proficiency (NEHA-NRPP) Measurement exam. The Radon Measurement Service Provider course includes: • 16 Continuing Education CEs; • 20 sections; • 216 photos and diagrams; • 7 quizzes; • 100-question final exam (drawn from a larger pool); • instant grading; • a downloadaBle, printaBle Certificate of Completion; and • accreditations and state approvals. The course covers the following categories: • Introduction • What is Radon? • Radiation and Radioactivity • What is an Atom? • Decay Chains • Curies, Equations and ER • Health Risks • Radon in Water • Curie and Becquerel Page 4 of 370 • Alpha, Beta and Gamma • The Geology of Radon • Radon Entry into a House • Radon Measurement: General Discussion • Protocols for Radon Measurements • Indoor Radon and RDP Measurement Protocols • EPA and ASTM Mitigation Standards • EPA's Radon Mitigation Standards • Model Standards • Building Radon Out • InterNACHI SOP for Inspecting Radon Systems • Radon in Water, Removal Methods Acknowledgment This course draws upon many resources provided By the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants (www.iac2.org), the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (www.nachi.org), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Information found in this course may also Be found in the following documents: • InterNACHI's "International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Radon Mitigation Systems" • "Ionizing Radiation Fact Book," U.S. EPA, Document 402-F-06-061, March 2007 • "Federal Provincial Territorial Radiation Protection" • "Standard Practice for Installing Radon Mitigation Systems in Existing Low-Rise Residential Buildings," ASTM International, Document E2121-03 • InterNACHI's International Standards of Practice for Inspecting Commercial Properties • "Radon Mitigation Standards," U.S. EPA, Document 402-R-93-078, October 1993 (revised April 1994) • "Building Radon Out," U.S. EPA, Document 402-K-01-002, April 2001 • "Standard Practice for Radon Control Options for the Design and Construction of New Low-Rise Residential Buildings," ASTM International, Document E 1465-07a • "Model Standards and Techniques for Control of Radon in New Residential Buildings," U.S. EPA, Document 402-R-94-009 • "Indoor Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurements Device Protocols," EPA Document Number 402-R-92-004, July 1992 • "Protocols for Radon and Radon Decay Product Measurements in Homes," U.S. EPA, Document Number 402-R-93-003, June 1993 • "A Citizen's Guide to Radon," EPA Document Number 402-K-02-006, September 2005 Page 5 of 370 • "Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction: How to Reduce Radon levels in Your Home," U.S. EPA, Document 402-K-03-002, Revised February 2003 • "Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon," U.S. EPA, 402-K-05-005, May 2005 • "Standard Practice for Installing Radon Mitigation Systems in Existing Low-Rise Residential Buildings," U.S. EPA, Document 402-K-03-007 • "Technical Support Document for the 1992 Citizens Guide to Radon," U.S. EPA, Document 400-R-92-011, May 1992 • "Radon Reduction Techniques for Existing Detached Houses, Technical Guidance (3rd Edition) for Active Soil Depressurization Systems," U.S. EPA, Document 625-R- 93-011, October 1993 • "Radon Proficiency Program (RPP) HandBook," U.S. EPA, Document 402-R-95-013, July 1996 • "Residential Standards of Practice," International Association of Certified Home Inspectors • "Radon Mitigation Research," U.S. EPA, Document 600-F-94-035, September 1994 • various documents provided By state environmental and health departments and Health Canada Disclaimer While the information in this document is Believed to Be accurate, the authors and contriButors do not make any warranty, guarantee or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the accuracy, effectiveness or usefulness of any information, method or material in this document, nor do they assume any liaBility for the use of any information, methods or materials disclosed herein, or for damages arising from such use. Users of this information are encouraged to secure professional advice for specific measurement methods, techniques and standards. The student must contact the appropriate state/province regulatory Body or department to determine and comply with the requirements for performing radon measurement services in that state or province. Taking this course alone may not qualify one as "certified" by a state/province regulating body or department. Furthermore, any references to specific products are provided solely as examples, and are not endorsements of the product. Section 1: What Is Radon? What Is Radon? Radon is a gas produced By the radioactive decay of the element radium. Radioactive decay is a natural, spontaneous process in which an atom of one element decays or Breaks down to form another element By losing atomic particles (protons, neutrons or electrons). When solid radium decays to form radon gas, it loses two protons and two neutrons. These two Page 6 of 370 protons and two neutrons are called an alpha particle, which is a type of radiation. The elements that produce radiation are referred to as radioactive. Radon itself is radioactive Because it also decays, losing an alpha particle and forming the element polonium. Elements that are naturally radioactive include uranium, thorium, carBon and potassium, as well as radon and radium. Uranium is the first element in a long chain of decay that produces radium and radon. Uranium is referred to as the "parent" element, and radium and radon are called "daughters" or "progeny." Radium and radon also form daughter elements as they decay. The progeny of radon are called radon decay products, or RDPs. The decay of each radioactive element occurs at a very specific rate. How fast an element decays is measured in terms of the element's "half-life," or the amount of time for one-half of a given amount of the element to decay. Uranium has a half-life of 4.4 billion years, so a 4.4-billion-year-old rock has only half of the uranium with which it started. The half-life of radon is only 3.8 days. If a jar were filled with radon, only half of the radon would be left after 3.8 days. But the newly-made daughter products of radon (or RDPs) would also Be in the jar, including polonium, Bismuth and lead. Polonium is also radioactive. It is this element which is produced by radon in the air and in people's lungs that can hurt lung tissue and cause lung cancer. Page 7 of 370 Radioactivity is commonly measured in picocuries (pCi). Because the level of radioactivity is directly related to the number and type of radioactive atoms present, radon and all other radioactive atoms are measured in picocuries. For instance, a house having 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air (4 pCi/L) has aBout eight or nine atoms of radon decaying every minute in every liter of air inside the house. A 1,000- square-foot house with 4 pCi/L of radon has nearly 2 million radon atoms decaying inside it every minute. Radon levels in outdoor air, indoor air, soil air and groundwater can be very different. Outdoor air ranges from less than 0.1 pCi/L to aBout 30 pCi/L, But it proBaBly averages about 0.2 pCi/L. Radon in indoor air ranges from less than 1 pCi/L to aBout 3,000 pCi/L, but it probably averages between 1 and 2 pCi/L. Radon in soil air (the air that occupies the pores in soil) ranges from 20 or 30 pCi/L to more than 100,000 pCi/L; most soils in the United States contain Between 200 and 2,000 pCi of radon per liter of soil air. The amount of radon dissolved in groundwater ranges from aBout 100 to nearly 3 million pCi/L. Natural Radiation Exposure Since the Beginning of time, all living creatures have Been exposed to radiation. We live in a radioactive world.