RADON GAS CAN POSE THREAT TO HOMEOWNERS
Take a cautious approach and get your house tested, Heather Faulkner writes.
I don’t remember hearing anything about radon gas in my early years as a realtor. When I finally did hear about it I was told that it was basically a nonissue here in Alberta, with the potential for some minor issues in the foothills, where pockets of radon were in the rock beds. However, in 2015 the building code in Alberta changed to put in place soil gas control measures, including a radon pipe that could be ready for radon ventilation if required.
If radon gas was such a nonissue, why make a change to the building code? This made me wonder if radon gas being a non-issue was akin to how some see climate change as a nonissue. Why change the building code if it’s not a problem? I started researching radon and was interested to learn that it is found in some degree all over the country.
Radon gas is released as a result of the radioactive breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. These odourless, colourless airborne particles can be inhaled into the lungs and release spurts of radioactive energy called alpha particles. These tiny particles are absorbed by our lung tissue, which damages the DNA in the cells. Damaged cells continue to divide and multiply into identical damaged cells, and thus cancer is born.
Radon is the second-highest cause of lung cancer worldwide, and the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. For smokers, high levels of radon in the home greatly increases the risk of developing lung cancer. While radon gas is everywhere, we must be concerned with its concentration levels. The gas flows freely through soil and is released into the atmosphere, or it can seep into buildings.
During a two-year study on radon gas by the government of Canada, test kits were delivered to homes in every province. In Alberta 1,166 kits were returned, and of those 6.6 per cent tested above the acceptable limit for radon gas. Breaking the study down a little further showed that 73 kits were returned from the Edmonton area and only 1.4 per cent (or one of the 73 returned kits) had levels above normal. Calgary fared worse, with seven of the 86 returned kits testing above acceptable levels. A recent study out of the University of Calgary tested 2,300 Calgary homes and found that one in eight homes tested contained unacceptable levels of radon gas.
Radon particles are minuscule, and it takes very little space for them infiltrate your home. New homes are airtight, which may actually be a negative when it comes to trapping radon gas particles inside, while older homes may have more cracks in the basement, allowing more access points for radon gas to enter. Either way, both old and new homes are at risk.
Testing for radon is affordable and easy, but takes time for the results to come back. Some companies offer a quick test that will take a snapshot of the radon in the house, but radon levels can change from day to day and such a quick test may be unreliable, so choose the long-term test for better results. I found a longterm radon test online for as little as $40, which includes the lab fee. Visit www.takeactionradon.ca for a list of do-it-yourself test providers, as well as pros who can do the job for you.
I’m grateful that, at least from a statistical standpoint, there isn’t a high likelihood of radon gas being a problem here in Edmonton. However, radon content can increase the chances of developing lung cancer, so it helps to take a cautious approach and get your home tested.