Indoor air can be source of pollution

Winter weather and thoughts of air-quality issues seem to go hand in hand. Typically, those thoughts are of outdoor air pollution that is easily seen and often comes with an odor.

There’s more to air quality, however.

“People tend to forget about indoor air,´ said Linda Devocelle, environmental-education specialist with the city of Fort Collins’ Department of Natural Resources. “There’s tobacco smoke, carbon monoxide and radon.”

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Devocelle and others have been working for more than two years to heighten the awareness of indoor air-quality problems associated with radon, an odorless gas that can cause lung cancer. Their work may lead to passage of city ordinances on the subject.

The first to admit that radon is a touchy subject -there are vastly differing opinions as to how much of a risk it is — Devocelle nonetheless believes strongly that the public should be educated about the gas and its potential as a health hazard.

Much of Colorado, including Larimer and Weld counties, carries a Zone 1 designation from the Environmental Protection Agency, meaning there are likely to be elevated levels of radon.

“Three out of four homes with basements in Fort Collins are above (a level four radon reading),” Devocelle said.

If a home’s radon levels measure at four picocuries or greater, the EPA suggests that corrective action be taken.

The city formed an air-quality advisory board a couple of years ago to weigh options for dealing with radon in homes. Results of that committee’s work now are coming to light.

Strongly in favor of education, the committee would like the city council to pass an ordinance requiring that all home buyers be presented with an EPA booklet and locally generated literature about radon when they purchase a home.

Additionally, Devocelle said the city’s building code contains no standard for requiring radon mitigation systems to be included in new homes.

The advisory board also spent considerable time debating whether the city should require that every home be tested for radon as a point of sale.

“Staff is not recommending that now,” Devocelle said. “However, city council still could want to make it a requirement.”

City staff decided not to request point-of-sale testing simply because radon still is such a controversial issue with a wide range of opinions as to its long-term dangers at various exposure levels.

“Also, there are radon testers and labs in Colorado, but there are no standards or quality control,” Devocelle said. “We were concerned about the lack of standards for testing.”

The advisory board also voted against requiring home builders to install mitigation systems in every new home.

“Staff will review that again in 1998 when we revise the air-quality action plan,” Devocelle said.

In the meantime, Devocelle and the city have been handing out sets to of two radon test kits to homeowners since October. So far, 300 sets have been issued. The cost is just $3.50, with results analyzed by a North Carolina laboratory.

In the next utility-billing newsletter, there will be a coupon that residents can clip and return in order to have the kits sent to them. They also can call Devocell at (970) 221-6312 and leave information for her to send them the kits.

They will be available while supplies last. The campaign likely will end in March simply because homes need to be as air-tight as possible when radon tests are conducted. Devocelle figures that by spring, homeowners will begin airing out homes with open windows.

While the city sorts out what it will require for radon — education, mandatory testing or mitigation systems — residents in unincorporated Larimer County have had guidelines in place for a couple of years.