Until the invention of accurate, consistent, and affordable radon gas detectors, a silent killer went unchecked and virtually unknown. Since 2019, Ecosense has fought to make the public aware of the dangers of radon gas, and their efforts are showing results.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 1 out of every 15 US homes harbor elevated levels of radon gas, and that reducing home radon exposure will cut the country’s lung cancer deaths in half. January is national radon awareness month, and there is no better time for people to learn about and protect themselves from this serious health risk.
The connection between radon gas and lung cancer
Radon gas occurs naturally, seeping upward through the soil as uranium decays. It drifts unannounced into homes through improperly sealed pipes, drains, porous walls, and foundation cracks. Outdoors, this radioactive gas dissipates quickly, but when trapped within enclosed spaces like homes and left unchecked, it can reach dangerously high levels. Because people cannot see, smell, or taste radon, they often breathe this radioactive gas every day without ever realizing it.
The EPA finds that exposure to radon is a leading cause of lung cancer, second only to smoking. In fact, lung cancer attributed to radon exposure claims over 21,000 lives in the US each year.
Fighting lung cancer through prevention
When the public was educated about the harmful effects of tobacco use in the 1990s, the effort resulted in a 50% decrease in long-term smoking among adults and a 68% decline among youth. Today, Ecosense is educating people to take similar action by monitoring radon levels in their homes, schools, and workplaces. Continuous monitoring is the key to preventing tens of thousands of deaths every year.
Today, the war on cancer is front-and-center. President Biden rekindled the Cancer Moonshot initiative to research treatments that will cut cancer’s death rate by 50% over the next 25 years. While his mission is noble, Ecosense offers a practical solution through easy and affordable radon detection. Without question, the best way to fight cancer is to stop it before it starts.
Saving lives with Ecosense home radon detectors
Ecosense provides three affordable radon monitors that offer ongoing assessment of home radon levels in minutes. They quickly followed their first-generation detector, the RadonEye, with the award-winning EcoQube and the newly released EcoBlu. Each device employs the same professional-grade detection technology and greatly exceeds sensitivity standards set by AARST/NRPP.
When Ecosense released its EcoQube in 2021, the groundbreaking device ranked on TIME’s list of the year’s 100 best inventions. This palm-sized, black cube may appear minimal in appearance, but it packs powerful capabilities.
“Its multicolored diode lights up green, yellow, or red to inform people of their home’s current radon level,” says Insoo Park, Founder and CEO of Ecosense. “If radon levels exceed the EPA’s acceptable threshold, it alerts users with visual alarms, optional audio alarms, and smartphone notifications. An app allows users to view immediate radon levels and long-term radon trends on their phones, and Wi-Fi connectivity allows them to check the safety of their homes anytime and anywhere.”
Ecosense’s all-new EcoBlu Digital Radon Detector offers the same accurate and reliable long-term monitoring as its predecessors and is designed to be the easiest and most affordable stand-alone detector in the company’s lineup. Like the EcoQube, the new EcoBlu alerts users to dangerous levels of radon with visual and audio alarms. The EcoBlu has modes to perform short and long-term tests; short-term monitoring provides real-time readings, updating every 10 minutes, while longer-term testing allows users to view daily, weekly, monthly, or annual averages.
Before portable devices such as the EcoQube and EcoBlu, ongoing and consistently reliable radon monitoring was out of reach for average homeowners. At that time, the only method for testing radon levels was through a lengthy process involving legacy plastic chips or activated carbon packets. These methods require weeks of testing and lab analysis.
Today, EcoQube and EcoBlu measure radon levels in minutes rather than weeks. “After three minutes of setup and 10 minutes of monitoring, the detectors deliver their first results,” says Park. “If the device detects an elevated radon level, people can take immediate action to mitigate it by opening windows and doors.”
When it comes to safety, accurate radon detectors are just as critical as security alarms, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide monitors. Radon levels are prone to fluctuate, so the best monitoring is long-term and continuous. To find out more about the peace of mind that comes with tracking radon levels hour-by-hour readers can visit the Ecosense website.
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