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Recently, advocates for safety have been bringing attention to Carbon Monoxide (CO) a silent, odorless, tasteless and invisible killer.
However this month the Renfrew County District Health Unit is recognizing the potential dangers of Radon exposure, which they say accounts for the highest amount of lung-cancer cases in non-smokers.
Radon is an invisible gas created by the decay of uranium which is very abundant in Canada.
Natural Resources Canada said the nation produces the world’s second largest amount of uranium which accounts for roughly 13 per cent of the globe’s output.
Take Action on Radon is a Health Canada funded program to promote action against Radon exposure, such as providing access to test kits which are required to detect Radon levels in the air.
In 2012, Health Canada conducted a nation-wide survey and found that eight per cent of homes in Ontario had Radon levels above 200 becquerels per cubic metre (200 Bq/m3) with some areas where up to 19 per cent of homes were over the threshold.
Health Canada classifies a Radon reading of 200 Bq/m3 or lower as “safe” however, Heath Canada notes that readings below 200 Bq/m3 are not necessarily risk-free.
In 2024 the survey was revisited and average Radon levels seem to be increasing; in Ontario 12.4 per cent of homes exceed Radon readings of 200 Bq/m3.
Health Canada notes that there is not a single region in Canada that is “Radon-free”, but Canadians can easily detect Radon levels in their homes with a Radon test kit.
In Ontario Radon test kits can be purchased from Canada Radon who’s kits are sourced from RN222 Inc., a company specialized in air quality products.
(Written by Mik Horvath)
