Health Canada wants people to test their homes for cancer-causing radon

Health Canada is encouraging people to test their homes for radon, an invisible, odourless gas that is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Radon is a radioactive gas that naturally occurs when uranium in rock breaks down. Radon can be found in most homes in Canada, in small amounts.

But in higher concentrations, and over long-term exposure, it can lead to lung cancer.

"So in Canada, in non-smokers, it's actually the number one leading cause of lung cancer," said Phoebe Tung, a regional radiation specialist for Health Canada.

"Annually across the country, about 3,000 people in Canada die from radon-induced lung cancer."

Tung said anyone can order a radon testing kit, which they would set up in the lowest point of their home for at least 90 days. After the 90-day period they can send it to a lab which will give them results on radon exposure.

"Health Canada has a magic number and it's called 200 becquerels per cubic metre," said Luc Lance, a certified radon measurement specialist with Algoma Radon Testing in Elliot Lake, Ont.

Lance said there is no safe amount of radon exposure, but if someone discovers they have elevated levels in their home, he said there are a few ways to remove the gas.

The most common option is what's called an active soil depressurization system, where a pipe is installed in the foundation floor slab of a home. A fan then draws in radon gas from beneath the home, and expels it outside.

Using an air exchanger can also reduce radon levels in a home, but Lance said that is less effective.

"You're not removing the radon, you're only lowering it by adding fresh air," he said. "So that's not a highly recommended type of system to use in the house."

Lance said a mitigation system can cost $1,500 to $2,000, but it can get more expensive if installers have to drill holes through a concrete floor.

He said Elliot Lake was one of the first communities in Canada to become aware of the dangers posed by radon, due to higher than average levels of the gas. The municipality had several uranium mines until the 1990s.

A Health Canada survey in 2012 found that 5.1 per cent of homes in the Sudbury district had radon levels above 200 becquerels per cubic metre, while in the Algoma district, where Elliot Lake is located, it was 8.6 per cent of homes.

Lance said his father, who worked in the uranium mines, died of lung cancer at the age of 63. 

He said pathology reports found his father's death was due to exposure to radiation while on the job.

"Once my father passed away then I really got into radon testing," Lance said.

Health Canada promotes a list of radon testing kit suppliers and professionals.