As a part of Radon Action month, Canadians are being encouraged to have their homes tested.
Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists Pam Warkentin explains what radon is, “It is a radioactive gas that is naturally occurring in the soil around us. In our homes, it can build up to elevated levels and it is linked to lung cancer. We can’t see it, smell it or taste it, but we can test for it.”
Warkentin says over time, as we breathe in radon gas, it decays and creates damage to our lung tissue, “3000 Canadians die each year of lung cancer in relation to radon. In non-smokers, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer.”
She adds, in New Brunswick, Health Canada estimates that 20% of homes have radon concentrations above the radon guideline.
“It could potentially be in any home, whether it is new, old, one neighbour to another, it could have different levels. We can’t really predict one area of the city or one street. Really, the only way to know is to test,” Warkentin says.
Statistics Canada has found, only nine per cent of New Brunswickers have had their homes tested.
This year’s Radon Action Month campaign, Today 4 Tomorrow, encourages Canadians to be proactive and plan for a healthy future by testing their home for radon, and reducing exposure to high levels. During the campaign, Take Action on Radon will highlight the positive actions of municipalities across Canada and the steps communities can take to help their residents protect themselves.
For more information or to find out where to get a testing kit, visit www.TakeActionOnRadon.ca
