radon

solarnoon.aspen
solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭
edited October 2020 in General Health

We built our house over a four year period and although we put in radon mitigation system, we didn't ever complete it/ vent it to the outside. In the rush to get on with things, we forgot to pick up a tester and see if we needed to finish the job.

Meanwhile, I had a hair analysis tell me that a major factor in my health profile was Uranium!!!! Since that shocker, I've discovered that my neighbours have very high radon readings.

So, we got hold of a tester and the levels are off the charts. We've been living in our alternative 'safe' strawbale and mud house, off grid, organic gardens and animals and exposing ourselves to radon for several years. Heartbreaker.

So, next steps, vent the gas. OMG. And just hope not too much damage has been done.

Comments

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    I'm so sorry for you're situation. Thinking you were living the ultimate healthy lifestyle, not knowing of the radon side effects, what a bummer. Radon is not a problem in Australia, so hardly spoken about. Seems Nth Dakota and Iowa in the states are in high % areas. Can you utilise ventilation under your house? Are there other remedies that can disperse the gas?

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @solarnoon.aspen My sympathies. I have heard of other high radon areas in Southern BC. We haven't tested here because we have never heard of this being an issue in our area. But now you have me wondering and maybe I should invest in a tester.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    There are a number of herbs that you can take for lung health that might assist with detoxification and repair to any damaged tissues. Elecampane, Mullein, Osha, Marshmallow, Licorice, Sage, etc. Lots of antioxidants in your diet will help. Adaptogens are good for oxidative (and other) stress in your body.

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    torey

    I will look into elecampane and osha. The others are all part of my tea routine anyway. Ever heard of sauna sweating out the heavy metal?

    Thank you.

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    jodienancarrow

    We have no basement, built right on the ground. However, we did put in a venting tube, and took it up to the second floor of the house and capped it off at the time we were building and didn't install the fan or finish venting out of the roof. So, that is what we must do now.

    Also, i friend just sent info that the water from our well could also be contaminated. Makes sense but I sure hope not as my partner drinks it right out of the tap. I have always filtered mine though. I guess we can get our hair retested after we change things and see if anything changed in our bodies.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @solarnoon.aspen Following is a link to an overview of studies done on levels of heavy metals before and after sweating (either by sauna or exercise). Some of it is pretty technical but if you go to the conclusions at the end it might be easier. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3312275/

  • valizona
    valizona Posts: 48 ✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    @solarnoon.aspen

    So sorry, but now that you know you can address the issue. Be patient. It may take time to detox and heal but all is not lost.

    cilantro is excellent for absorbing heavy metals. I eat lots of it raw and there is also essential oil that's more concentrated.

    infrared saunas can be very helpful. At the Paleo Expo in Austin last year there were also ppl selling mats of infrred and ultraviolet lights to help detox and heal. The different lights penetrate to differing depths of tissue. They had a less expensive portable frame of lights that could be moved to target certain parts of body-- ie the chest. Dont recall the name of company but I imagine an online search will lead you to vendors.

    {side note: search using StartPage,com not Google. They dont save any of your info and are just as good)

  • JodieDownUnder
    JodieDownUnder Posts: 1,483 admin

    @torey you are an absolute treasure trove of wonderful, powerful information. We are truly blessed to have you on this forum. Thankyou 👏

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @solarnoon.aspen I will post a link in the MARKETPLACE› BUY, SELL, BARTER, AND GIVE AWAY section later today for a very reasonably priced Full spectrum Infrared sauna. I love my sauna and I can actually give people a discount if they purchase through me. Right now I have to get out of my sauna and get ready for work.

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @jodienancarrow Now you are making me blush! Thanks for the support. I just want to encourage everyone to be as healthy in body, mind and spirit as humanly possible.

  • bmaverick
    bmaverick Posts: 175 ✭✭✭

    Is your home on a concrete slab or bare earth?

    With a concrete slab, one can paint a thick layer of waterproofing. This will slow the radon a good deal. May even force it to leak around the house and outward.

    Other than your hair, you'll need to have a lung health checkup. With this covid ordeal, radon will make it much worse.


    There are only 2 water systems that REMOVES radioactive material in water. The Big Berkey with the booster white filters and the Aquapure machine. Both have been 3rd party ISO lab tested with documented results.


    If you are on a well system, avoid water softeners if you can. The added salts will age your body very fast and your health too. Omni sell not just whole hose, but the larger B36 models for wells water system. Get 2. First kit for silt and sand. Second kit for micron water filtering. This will help. Then the Berkey for drinking and cooking.

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    bmaverick , torey

    Thank you and all others for the tips on how to mitigate and heal.

    In the meantime, since my original posting, and after the scare we felt about having soaked in radiation for 6 years or so, we spoke with our builder and have located the source of the problem. It is not coming up from our foundation at all. It is being sucked up through an innovative 4" tube- that we had placed underground, running 100 feet - to bring air into the house. This tube changes the temperature of the air, warming in winter and cooling in summer, so it is wonderful - EXCEPT that we had drilled a tiny hole in it to relieve condensation and we believe that is where the radon entered. We think this because, once I taped it shut, the reading has gone down to way-below dangerous levels.

    So, now we have that figured out, the healing must begin. My daughter is sending an infrared sauna blanket. YES!! And a mushroom combo capsule.

    We are on a well and have no sand or silt problems. I have always used a Berkey to filter the water, but have just used the black filters. I will definitely look into the white ones.

    Thank you all once again for your ideas and advice.

  • solarnoon.aspen
    solarnoon.aspen Posts: 219 ✭✭✭

    valizona

    Thank you for this suggestion. My daughter is a dr of chinese medicine and offered me a sauna blanket. So, I will follow the process and after a while get my hair retested to see how it is working. Appreciate your offer and idea, though.

  • bmaverick
    bmaverick Posts: 175 ✭✭✭

    Ah, so your GeoCooling system is bringing in the radon. Fancy that. Glad you can work around the ordeal. Happy and relived the trouble is solvable.