Smoking & Radon
Radon is a naturally occurring and cancer-causing radioactive gas. It is present in the air and can accumulate in high concentrations in homes.
Long-term exposure to elevated levels of radon damages the DNA in lung tissue and leads to an increased
risk of lung cancer.
Health Canada estimates that about 16% of lung cancer deaths are related to exposure to radon in the home. Radon exposure is the LEADING CAUSE of lung cancer in non-smokers and it is estimated there are more than 3,200 radon-related lung cancer deaths in Canada each year.
An individual’s risk depends both on the radon level and the length of exposure, and smoking increases risk as well. Lung cancer takes a long time to develop and so the symptoms develop after many years of radon exposure.
Take Action on Radon is now offering FREE Radon Test Kits, order here.
FAQs
Like any carcinogen, sometimes it takes time before researchers test and there is a growing body of evidence to say that something is bad. Asbestos, for example took years to get rid of and to educate people that it was dangerous and cancer causing.
This is the same with radon. People are talking but among competing topics in the media, it is taking time for people to realize the importance of radon.
Testing for radon is about protecting your family’s health, so it’s important to get it right!
- Choose a radon test kit that’s been approved*. Take Action on Radon is now offering FREE Radon Test Kits, order here
- Choose a long-term radon test kit for 91 days or more.
- Once you receive your kit, be sure to follow the instructions carefully. https://takeactiononradon.ca/test/radon-test-kits/
People who smoke and are exposed to elevated levels of radon have a significantly increased risk of developing lung cancer.
The only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test for it. Testing for radon is easy and inexpensive.
The kit will come with proper instructions or the *certified professional that you have hired can provide you with direction on this. Choose a space in the lowest level of your home (basement or main floor) with a room where you spend 4 hours per day or more (bedroom, office, family room).
Health Canada has provided guidance on the proper location with minimum distances from walls, windows and other objects. The directions included with the radon test should be clear to guide you on this.
In a residential dwelling, the recommendations are to only test one room in the home and this will provide you with a good estimate of what the radon levels are in other areas of the home.
If you feel that there are unique features of your home that could influence this, you may want to hire a *certified professional to conduct your radon testing.
Home testing is only part of the solution, there is no reason to fear a high radon test result. No matter your level, there are radon mitigation methods that can successfully reduce your home to a safe level.
If you’ve tested your home, and the radon concentration is above the Canadian guideline of 200 Bq/m3, Health Canada recommends that you take action to lower the concentrations. The higher the radon concentrations, the sooner action should be taken to reduce levels to as low as practically possible.
Once you receive your high-test result, the first step is to contact a certified* radon mitigation professional to help.