TAKE ACTION BY TESTING YOUR HOME FOR RADON

Checking levels of harmful gas is easy to do — and it could wind up saving your life

November is designated as Radon Action Month. The dangers of radon is something my family and I have been talking about for a few years now, and this month is a good time of year to test your home for this harmful gas.

WHAT IS RADON?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is caused by the breakdown of the uranium found in our soil, rock, or water. When radon releases into our outdoor air, the effects are diluted, and aren’t cause for concern. But if that radon finds its way into our homes, it can begin to accumulate to harmful levels.

What effect can radon have? It’s the No. 1 leading cause of lung cancer among non-smoking Canadians. About 16 per cent of all lung cancer deaths in Canada are attributed to radon exposure — a number that can, and should, be much lower.

If you’re exposed to high concentrations of radon (levels that exceed 800 Bq/m3 — or becquerels per cubic metre) — your odds of developing lung cancer are as high as one in 20. And if you’re a smoker, the statistics are even worse: one in three.

HOW DOES RADON GET INSIDE?

Sometimes, it’s the things we can’t see that do the most damage. With radon, you can’t see it, or smell it, so the only way to know you have it is to test for it. While geography plays some part in the radon levels in your area (for example, Saskatchewan and the Yukon report higher concentrations), that doesn’t mean your home in Alberta will be safe. Radon levels can even vary neighbour to neighbour, so if the family next door tested low, your home could still test high.

Radon can get into your home through your windows, pipes, sump pumps, groundwater, or cracks in your foundation. If your home receives water from a private well, that provides another entry point for radon. When you test your home, make sure you have your well tested, too.

TESTING AND MITIGATING

Radon will be present in every home; it’s just a matter of how much. Health Canada recommends taking action when levels exceed 200 Bq/m3. Radon levels can vary throughout the year, but are typically higher during the winter months when we keep things more tightly enclosed. By testing now when it’s cooler, you can get a better idea of how much radon you’re being exposed to at home.

There are short-term and longterm tests available which can last three to five days, or up to three months. If you’re serious about testing, I would call in a professional who knows how to properly place the testing units and, if you test high, can help you figure out which steps you need to take to reduce the problem.

The first step to mitigating radon exposure in your home starts with strengthening your foundation. If you have any cracks in the concrete, you want to fill them. This will reduce the flow of radon seeping through — and as you better seal your home, any followup mitigation efforts will become more effective.

When my son renovated, he tested for higher levels of radon, and mitigated the issue by drilling a hole in the concrete slab in his basement floor. A pipe with a fan was then installed in the hole that drew the radon gas directly from the ground, and funnelled it through the pipe without giving it a chance to get inside, and expelled it harmlessly into the outside air.

RADON OUTSIDE THE HOME

I think everyone should have their homes tested. To me, it just makes sense. But I want to see more testing at our jobs and in our schools. We recently moved into a new office in Toronto, and I had my lead home inspector test our unit for radon to make sure my crew would stay safe.

I just read that there will be mandatory radon testing in all child-care facilities across the Yukon (and that they’ve already tested all the schools). That’s what I want to see happening across the country. Think about the places you spend the most time — your house, your work, your school. We’re breathing in everything in that space — especially now that we’re building our homes to be more air-tight and efficient — and if that air is contaminated, we’re taking in all those toxins and potentially causing harm.

It’s important to know that even when not at home, my kids and my grandkids are breathing safe, clean air.

Now that it’s November, test your home — it’s easy, and it could save your life. And for the bosses out there, test your offices.