Understanding Radon levels
Radon is a product of uranium decay in the soil, rock, or water. It is a radioactive gas and can penetrate structures through cracks, joints, or gaps in the foundation. As a person is exposed to this radioactive gas for a prolonged period, the situation gets adverse. Radon levels, if they increase, can eventually be lethal because they are colourless and odourless, making them extremely difficult to detect, but they can result in lung cancer. In this situation, a particular form of measurement is required.
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How is Radon gas formed?
It is colourless and has no taste or odour. This gas is generated due to the disintegration of uranium. You might find it in higher levels in basements or areas with poor ventilation, but it is present everywhere in a home, even outdoors in low levels. It is not harmful when you go outside. But if you let it build to high levels for quite a while in a house, its concentration might increase to a dangerous level.
Radon Levels in Canadian Homes
High radon levels have been the case in many parts of Canada. This is common, particularly in cold weather, when people shut doors and windows to conserve heat. Some areas in Canada have a greater risk than others regarding radon level exposure. This makes it essential for homeowners to monitor their indoor radon levels to protect their health regularly. Health Canada provides this information, referencing scientific research on the relationship between radon exposure and lung cancer risk. The comparative risks (e.g., drowning or dying in a home fire) are used to give context to the level of danger posed by radon levels exposure.
Radon level | Lung Cancer Risk | Recommended Action |
200 B q/m3 | About 120 people per 1000 exposed could develop lung Cancer | Fix your home |
100 B q/m3 | About 60 people per 1000 exposed could develop lung cancer | |
10 B q/m3 | About five people per 1000 exposed to lung cancer | considered Low Risk |
Why Radon is Considered a Poison
Invisibility and Odorless Nature of Radon
Radon can be referred to as a 'silent killer' as it does not reflect in the senses of a human being. After determining Radon levels, you will know whether or not your home contains dangerous amounts of Radon levels. High levels are hazardous and a threat to one's health.
Misconceptions About the Detection of Radon Levels
Some members of society are misinformed, thinking that they can feel when there are radon gasses because they are feeling ill or that there are fewer chances of Radon in newer homes. However, no house is safe, and symptoms may take years before they appear, hence the need for periodic check-ups for other forms of exposure to Radon. On occasion, a person can start displaying symptoms similar to that of radiation poisoning from living in a high Radon environment for a long time. Otherwise, the symptoms of the increase in Radon levels are usually that of lung cancer, and by that time, it is generally at a later stage.
Signs of a Radon Levels Increase in Your Home
The indirect signs of Radon gas present in your home are evident from symptoms of sickness one faces over the periods, whether it is a short-term or long-term exposure to Radon. These include symptoms from.
Potential Health Symptoms of Long-Term Exposure
Fatigue:
An increase in Radon levels can cause chronic tiredness and low energy levels, as well as damage to the lungs on a cellular level.
Coughing:
Frequent coughing is one of the evident signs of high Radon exposure over time.
Shortness of Breath:
Wheezing or difficulty in breathing after some time. It is worth noting that Radon is the top factor responsible for lung cancer in non-smokers. Though hard to believe, Radon is responsible for lung cancer in thousands of its deaths, making it necessary to test for in every household in Canada.
Common risk factors for why radon levels are elevated
Several factors enhance the risk of homes being affected by higher radon levels, especially for newer, more efficiently built homes.
Age and Condition of the Home
Older homes usually contain cracks in the foundation and gaps, which, more likely than not, provide a path for radon gas entry. Nevertheless, even new houses cannot be free from such radon issues. As a new slab cures and pulls away from the foundation wall, a gap can form in the perimeter joint, allowing for Radon entry in newer homes.
Foundation Cracks and Gaps in Floors and Walls
Radon enters through cracks in the foundation, the structural base of the house. It also escapes via unsealed spaces around drainage, pipes, and electrical cables. Open sump pits or unfilled voids beneath furnaces or bathtubs can also allow for Radon entry.
Basements and Low-Ventilated Spaces
A basement is likely to lack sound ventilation systems, which, due to the lack of fresh air, usually encourage the presence of radon gas at high levels.
Radon Prone Areas in Homes in Canada
Several areas in Canada, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, experience a higher risk of high Indoor radon levels. Residents in these areas must exercise caution when testing and mitigating the High Radon Risk.
Testing is the only way available to locate Radon
Why Visible Signs Don't Exist
Because the radon element is colourless and odourless, its only detection is through testing. Health professionals recommend this practice, and Health Canada also highly recommends retesting every two years, as Radon levels can change over time.
Attention to Radon Testing in Canada
Given the high concentration of radon levels in numerous provincial Canadian regions, routine radon testing is essential to keeping homes, childcare facilities and office spaces safe.
How is Radon Testing Done
Homeowners and business owners can buy a DIY radon testing kit or hire a C-NRPP-certified Radon professional to carry out the test. To be accurate, the radon levels should be measured over 90 days to incorporate the daily fluctuations of Radon within a home.
What Should be Done When There are High Levels of Radon Gas
If the radon gas level in a business or a house is too high, remedial measures should be taken immediately to address the problem.
Next Steps for Mitigating Radon
Consider installing a Radon Reduction System, which reduces Radon in the air by drawing the gas underneath the foundation's surface to the outside.
Radon Reduction Systems for Canadian Homes
Many radon mitigation systems have been developed, such as soil suction systems and pressurization techniques, that can still reduce the amount of radiation to a lower, safer level.
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Final Thoughts
Radon testing and mitigation help run home safely, ensure residents' health, and improve a home's air quality. All homeowners and businesses should be concerned about ensuring the safety of workers from exposure to Radon in the working and home environments.
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