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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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- What is a septic system?
- What is radon and where does it come from?
- Can radon affect me?
- How does radon get indoors?
- What are safe radon levels?
- What is my township’s average radon concentration?
- What is mold?
- Why should an underground storage tank be tested?
- What are the main sources of lead exposure?
- How does lead based paint cause health problem for children?
- How does asbestos cause health hazards?
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1. What is a septic
system?
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A sub-surface sewage
disposal system, commonly known as a septic system, consists of
two main components: the septic tank also known as the treatment tank, the distribution box and the drainage area, often referred to as the leach field.
The system also includes a main sewer line which connects all the
plumbing fixtures to the septic tank and a distribution box which
connects the septic tank to the drainage field. The septic tank
is usually buried approximately 10-20 feet from the dwelling.
The purpose of a septic system is to treat and dispose of waste
water generated by the occupants. When properly installed and adequately
maintained, septic systems are more economical than sanitory sewers
and just as effecient.
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2. What is radon
and where does it come from? |
Radon is a colorless,
odorless and tasteless gas that comes from the radioactive decay of
radium.
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3.
Can radon affect me? |
Radon gas continues
to undergo radioactive decay, producing new naturally formed radioactive
material. These new radon progenies, which are solid can stick to
dust particles or smoke in the air. This can be inhaled and deposited
on the linings of the lungs where it continues to emit alpha energy.
Studies indicate that the result of extended exposure to high levels
of radon gas/radon progeny produce an increased risk of lung cancer.
Radon Exposure has been rated the second leading cause of lung cancer,
while cigarette smoking remains the first. |
Expected Lung Cancer Mortality Rates:
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4. How does radon
get indoors? |
Radon gas can enter a
house through any openings in the floor or wall which touches the
soil. These include pipe entry points, joints between basement floors
and walls, drains, cracks and open crawl spaces. Water from private
wells and small community systems can contain radon which is released
when the water is agitated.
Common ways radon can enter your home:
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5. What are safe
radon levels? |
The EPA recommends
that the average radon exposure rate not exceed 4.0pCi/L. In New
Jersey, 30% of the homes tested are found to in excess of 4.0 pCi/L.
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6. What is my township’s
average radon concentration? |
A list of average radon
concentration can be found by county by clicking here.
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7. What is mold? |
Mold is found both indoors
as well as outdoors and is a very simple microscopic organism.
Mold breaks down dead material and requires a food source such
as moisture to grow. Since it reproduces at such high rates, it
gradually destroys whatever it grows on.
Mold growth on surfaces can be found due to discoloration, usually
green, gray, brown, or black, but can also be found in almost any
color.
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8. Why should an
underground storage tank be tested? |
- The cost of oil cleanups average thousands of dollars.
- The cost of oil cleanups and tank removal are usually not covered
by home owners insurance.
- Heating oil companies that offer tank protection do not cover
the cost of cleanups which may be related to pre-existing tank
or oil leaks which are found when a homeowner converts to gas.
The entire cleanup cost may not be covered by tank protection.
- Sellers and potential home buyers should be aware and correct
problems with the oil tank to avoid any concerns regarding liability
and avoid the possibility of a delay in closing.
- To avoid environmental risks abandoned underground oil tanks
should be located and inspected to verify that they have been
properly closed.
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9. What are the main
sources of lead exposure? |
Experts agree that there
are three major sources of Lead exposure today:
- Lead-based paint
- Urban soil and dust
- Drinking water
These sources are considered major because of the large number of
people exposed. Other sources can result in high exposure in individual
cases.
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10. How does lead
based paint cause health problem for children? |
The amount of Lead-based
paint in housing is significant. Tens of millions of housing units
contain at least some lead-based paint. Children living in homes with
lead-based paint can become exposed to that lead by directly eating
chips of paint or by chewing on protruding painted surfaces. The most
common route of exposure, however, is the ingestion of lead bearing
dust that is generated by paint when it deteriorates, chalks or is
disturbed through renovation or even abrasion from opening or closing
of windows and doors. Even in these indirect ways, lead-based can
be a source of severe lead poisoning. Children absorb a significantly
higher percentage of ingested lead than adults., with absorption enhanced
by malnutrition and poor diet. Several studies have confirmed the
link between dust lead and childhood blood lead.
The severity of lead contamination is only now being realized.
Children are especially vulnerable to lead poisoning. Lead in the
body can cause serious damage to the central and peripheral nervous
system, the cardiovascular system, and the kidneys. Exposure to
high concentration of lead can cause retardation, convulsions, coma
and death. Even low concentrations of lead are known to slow down
a child's normal development and cause learning and behavioral problems.
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11. How does asbestos
cause health hazards? |
The harmful asbestos
fibers are much too small to be seen by the naked eye. An average
human hair is approximately 1200 times thicker than most asbestos
fibers. Asbestos has been identified as a cancer-causing material
(carcinogen) and most uses have been banned in the United States.
Asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer have all been attributed
to occupational exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of these diseases
generally do not appear for approximately 10-40 years. There is
no known safe level of asbestos exposure.
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