What’s all the talk about radon?
James Watson
Collaborating with Housing, Pre-Employment and Band Council members to combat the challenges of Indigenous housing | Mold awareness, testing, and remediation training | FOUNDER, CEO AND TRAINER at got mold??
What’s all the talk about radon?
Recently we have been receiving inquiries about radon. It has also been showing up in the press and even Mike Holmes has commercials targeted towards the health concerns around it. So what is it?
Radon is a radioactive gas that is produced naturally by the breakdown of uranium in the ground. Since radon can’t be seen, smelled, or tasted, it can get into your home undetected. In outdoor air, radon is diluted and therefore not a concern. In confined spaces like your home or office, radon can build up to high levels and become a health risk. For example we now know recent scientific studies have conclusively linked the risk of developing lung cancer to levels of radon found in some houses. Radon can enter your home any place where the house touches the soil and there is an opening.
Possible entry points into your home include:
cracks in foundation walls and floor slabs
construction joints
gaps around service pipes
support posts
window casements
floor drains
sumps or cavities inside walls
dirt floors
The amount of radon in your home will depend on many factors:
the amount of uranium in the ground
the number of entry points into your home
how well your home is ventilated
Did you know? It is estimated that a non-smoker exposed to high levels of radon over a lifetime has a one in 20 chance of developing lung cancer. That estimate increases to one in three for a smoker exposed to high levels of radon over a lifetime.
Health Risks
Radon exposure increases your risk of developing lung cancer. Cigarette smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer and although the risk is smaller, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer according to Health Canada. See Radon – Another Reason to Quit for more information on smoking and radon..Your risk of cancer depends on several factors:
the level of radon in your house
how long you are exposed
whether you smoke (exposure to radon and tobacco use together can significantly increase your risk of lung cancer)