The eLearning Center for Gatlin Education Services

Overview

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas, which is found in all homes in varying amounts depending on the locality. Radon levels are measured in picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L) where a picocurie is a measure of radioactivity. The national average level within homes is about 1.3 (pCi/L). Not everyone who is exposed to elevated levels of radon gas will develop lung cancer, but your risk of getting radon-induced lung cancer increases as your exposure to radon gas increases. Smokers who have high radon levels in their homes are at an especially high risk for getting radon-induced lung cancer.

This course will provide the student with step-by-step guidance on how to build radon resistant homes. By specifying various inexpensive construction methods and procedures, radon levels can be effectively reduced. A very basic radon reduction system can reduce radon levels as much as 50%; the same system can be easily upgraded to provide additional radon level reduction.

The student must take a multiple-choice quiz consisting of twenty-five (25) questions at the end of the course to obtain PDH credits.

Specific Knowledge or Skill Attained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

  · Design a passive sub-slab depressurization system.
  · Design an active sub-slab depressurization system.
  · Design a passive sub- membrane depressurization system.
  · Design an active sub- membrane depressurization system.
  · Awareness of the potential dangers of radon gas levels
  · Effect of differential pressures on radon gas levels
  · Determination of radon gas "action level"
  · Reduction of "stack effect"
  · Use of mechanical barriers for soil gas entry
  · EPA recommendation for Zone 1 home locations

State Board Acceptance

This course can be used by professional engineers to fulfill PDH requirements mandated by state and provincial licensing boards. Decatur Professional Development is an approved provider of continuing education in all states that pre-approve course providers. In all other states that mandate continuing education for engineers, it is the individual engineer's responsibility to determine the suitability of activities for PDH credit. The state boards typically accept online* courses that cover technical, managerial** or ethical content and which are relevant to the practice of engineering. The course must have a clear purpose or objective with a content that will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge of the licensee's field of practice. For questions about your mandatory PDH requirements, visit the website of your state licensing board.

*Online courses are accepted by all state licensing boards that mandate continuing education. Other than New York (which limits online courses to 18 PDH) and Iowa (which limits online courses to 6 PDH), there are no limits placed by other states on the number of hours that can be earned through online continuing education. Consult with your state licensing board if you have any questions about the acceptability of online courses.

**The New York State Board of Engineers does not accept general office management courses, but will accept project management courses that are offered by an approved provider and that are technical in nature and contribute to the engineer's professional practice.