Approximately 16 per cent of homes in the Saskatoon region are estimated to have high levels of radon gas.
“That’s pretty significant,” said Kelley Bush, Health Canada Manager for Radon Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement. “Certain areas of the country are more prone to radon, and Saskatchewan is one of those.
“On average, about seven per cent of homes in Canada will have high radon levels, but some areas can be as high as 30 to 50 per cent.
“All homes have some level of radon, but it varies quite a bit across the country.”
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, said Bush, adding that it accounts for over 3,000 deaths per year.
“Smoking is still the leading cause of lung cancer for people who smoke,” she said. “But, it’s important to realize that many people who have never smoked a single cigarette are being diagnosed with lung cancer. The only known health effect associated to long-term radon exposure is an increased risk of developing lung cancer, and it can take several decades to show up.”
Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from uranium in the ground. It can get into your home undetected. You can’t see it, smell it or taste it.
“The only way you can find out how much is in your home is to test” said Bush. “Even if you have a very solid foundation, the reality is that concrete is porous and gas can always find its way through the walls and floor.
“Also, if you have a sump pump in your basement that does not have a sealed cap, that offers radon a nice entry point into your home.”
Fortunately, testing is simple and inexpensive. Most test kits range between $30 and $60.
“We recommend you do a three-month test, ideally over the fall and winter months,” said Bush. “Those are the seasons when your doors and windows are usually closed, and it’s the most representative period.”
Bush said homeowners can either do the test themselves using a readily-available kit, or hire a certified professional. Test results, including those for do-it-yourselfers, are all done by certified laboratories, so the results are always accurate.
According to the ‘Take Action on Radon’ website, a resource centre that assists homeowners in locating test kits and certified professionals, it doesn’t matter where your home is located or what the radon levels are in your neighbours’ homes.
It also doesn’t matter whether your hoe is old or new, large or small. Each house is different and needs to be tested individually.
Bush said many homeowners who find higher levels of radon in their homes have concerns about the cost of fixing the problem.
“The good news is you don’t have to immediately move out of your home, and you don’t have to rip your house apart,” said Bush. “It’s not complicated or overly expensive to have a radon mitigation system installed, usually in less than a day.
“These systems can reduce the radon level by more than 80 per cent; and they cost around $2,000 to $3,000; which is about the same as other common home repairs such as replacing your furnace or air conditioner.”
The most common radon reduction method is called sub-soil depressurization.
“It is a simple and very effective system when a pipe is installed through the foundation and connected to an outside wall or up through to the roof line,” said Bush. “A small fan is attached which draws the radon from below the house to the outside before it can enter your home.”
Bush said Health Canada has an ongoing campaign to raise awareness among homeowners of the long-term risks of radon gas exposure, and promote increased testing in homes across the country.
“We are also working to have changes made to the national building code to have passive radon mitigation systems in all new homes,” she said. “That would go a long way to reducing the risks for homeowners.”
According to estimates, 453 fewer lung cancer deaths could be prevented every year in Canada if all new homes included radon reduction systems.