Should Only Active Radon Resistant New Construction Be Required In All Zone One Counties?
Some individuals within standards development groups involved with radon are discussing a possible revision of the existing Radon Resistant New Construction (RRNC) standards into a consensus national standard that would advocate the requirement that all new RRNC installations in Zone One counties be active radon systems which include a radon fan. This paper investigates the potential for needless installations of radon fans and associated energy waste that such a requirement might cause. Many publications have documented that at radiation levels near natural background, the Linear No Threshold Theory of radiation risk is at best a weak theory. Some publications, including some directly related to radon exposure, have demonstrated no detectable risk to occupants of residences with radon concentrations in the range of the WHO reference level of 2.7 pCi/l. Certainly occupants of homes with radon concentrations at or below half of the WHO reference are not subject to sufficient risk to jus
