Radon Testing
Radon may be a problem for your home. Radon is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Radon increases chances of contracting lung cancer. If you have high levels of Radon in your home, and combined to smoking, your risk of lung cancer is especially high.
Radon can be found anywhere
Radon comes from the natural (radioactive) breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon can be found all over. It can get into any type of building homes, offices, and schools - and result in a high indoor radon level. But you and your family are most likely to get your greatest exposure at home, where you spend most of your time.
Radon concentrations fluctuate seasonally, but are usually higher in winter than in summer, and are usually higher at night than during the day. This is because the sealing of buildings (to conserve energy) and the closing of doors and windows (at bedtime), reduce the intake of outdoor air and allow the build-up of radon.
The Canadian guideline for radon in indoor air
The Canadian guideline for radon in indoor air for dwellings, which provides Canadians with guidance on when remedial action should be taken to reduce radon levels, is as follows:
"Remedial measures should be undertaken in a dwelling whenever the average annual radon concentration exceeds 200 becquerels per cubic metre (200 Bq/m³) in the normal occupancy area. The higher the radon concentration, the sooner remedial measures should be undertaken. When remedial action is taken, the radon levels should be reduced to a value as low as practicable. The construction of new dwellings should employ techniques that will minimize radon entry and will facilitate post-construction radon removal, should this subsequently prove necessary."
The becquerel is a unit of radioactivity. One becquerel corresponds to one disintegration per second.
You should test for radon and RMS can help you in this regard
Testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon. EPA and Health Canada recommend testing all homes below the third floor for radon.
You can fix a radon problem
Radon reduction systems work and they are not too costly. Some radon reduction systems can reduce radon levels in your home by up to 99%. Even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels.
New homes can be built with radon-resistant features
Radon-resistant construction techniques can be effective in preventing radon entry. When installed properly and completely, these simple and inexpensive techniques can help reduce indoor radon levels in homes. In addition, installing them at the time of construction makes it easier and less expensive to reduce radon levels further.