Radioactive contamination in Idaho Falls houses (Hope: live, move, car)

[idahosinger]

My son purchased a home in the Idaho Falls area last year soon after his family started getting sick(headaches, drowsiness, lack of focus, lack of appetite,....). So bad they moved from the home into a rental, almost over night they started feeling better.. no more headaches, etc.
So we all started wondering if maybe they were allergic to something around the home or a meth lab had been in the home then we started researching who had lived there.

We found the previous owner and went to talk to him. He was a very nice older gentlemen, we told him our concerns with the home and if he knew anything in the history that might cause sickness. The guy started telling us he was dieing of cancer he believes he got from getting exposed to radioactive materials while working at the local nuclear research plant outside of Idaho Falls.

He started to cry and said “It could be contamination he brought home when he lived there.” He was heart wrenched and said he is dieing they are denying his exposure claims while saying the amounts he was exposed to were safe.

So now we are wondering could this home could be contaminated by radioactive exposure brought home by a former site worker ?

Can we test the home for radioactive contamination ? If so how ?

If we resell the home do we have to disclose the house might be contaminated ?

Have you heard of other homes in the Idaho Falls area that are contaminated by site workers ?

This is a big mess for us we are scared to sell the home my sons family cannot move back in and get sick again.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[arleigh]

A good Geiger counter runs about $400. capable of giving you strait answers in stead of trusting some government agency.
'The radiation network' has a listing of good geiger counters available .
I made the mistake of going cheap $200. and it works but not to the degree I would have preferred.
Hope this helps.

[idahosinger]

Thanks arleigh,
I was looking at geiger counters a couple of weeks ago then I got kind of lost and confused in the technology. I guess I need to go back and try to educate myself again.

Do you know of any pages that have info on harmful amounts and levels to look for ?

[atvwife]

The other thing you may want to check for is radon. This is a natural occurence that needs venting if levels are high enough. Other states require a radon test upon purchase, but Idaho does not, even though in some areas their levels are just as high. If there is radon, it can be remediated by a ventilation system to eliminate the problem.

[blendin]

Try getting a professional grade radiation dosimeter. Many times carpet, carpet padding, drapes, fabric and foam materials will soak up the radiation and hold it. Pulling these out can help a lot.

Years back a buddy of mine bought a car from a INEEL site worker then he would get sick if he drove for extended periods. His brother worked at the site and had a radiation dosimeter so he tested the car, the dosimeter went bazerk on the driver car seat. He ended up selling the car to someone he didn't like.

Good luck.