• Radon in Canada: The Silent Threat in Your Home

    Radon is an invisible, odourless, and tasteless radioactive gas that poses a significant health risk to Canadians. It's the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and is estimated to be responsible for more than 3,200 lung cancer deaths in Canada each year. The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test for it.

    What is Radon and Where Does It Come From?

    Radon is a naturally occurring gas produced by the breakdown of uranium found in soil and rock. Outdoors, radon is diluted to low concentrations and is harmless. However, when it enters an enclosed space like a house, it can accumulate to dangerous levels.

    Radon can seep into your home anywhere it finds an opening in the foundation:

    • Cracks in foundation walls and floor slabs.
    • Gaps around service pipes and drains.
    • Construction joints and sumps.
    • Cavities inside walls.

    Because Canadian homes are well-sealed to keep in heat during the winter months, radon concentrations can easily build up inside.

    The Canadian Guideline and National Statistics

    Health Canada recommends that the average annual level of radon in a normal living area should not exceed 200 Becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³). If your home's level is above this guideline, corrective action is recommended, with higher levels requiring sooner action.

    Recent studies indicate that high radon levels are a widespread issue across the country. The 2024 Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Exposure found that nearly 18% of Canadian homes have radon levels at or above the 200 Bq/m³ threshold, more than double the estimate from a decade prior.

    While no region is "radon-free," some provinces and territories have higher average levels:

    • Highest Percentages: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon have the highest percentages of homes testing above the guideline.
    • Varying Risks: Even within provinces with lower overall averages, certain health regions can have a high incidence of elevated radon, emphasizing that every home is unique.

    Testing is Easy, Mitigation is Effective

    The health risk from radon exposure depends on the concentration and duration of exposure, and the risk for smokers exposed to high concentrations is significantly higher. The good news is that this risk is preventable.

    Testing:

    • Health Canada recommends a long-term test (minimum of 3 months), ideally during the fall and winter, in the lowest lived-in level of your home. This provides the most accurate annual average.
    • Do-it-yourself test kits are available at hardware stores or from public health organizations, or you can hire a certified professional.

    Mitigation:

    • If high levels are detected, a certified radon professional can install a mitigation system, most commonly active soil depressurization.
    • This process usually takes less than a day and can reduce radon levels by more than 80%.
    • The cost is comparable to other common home repairs like a new furnace.

    Don't wait to ensure the air you and your family breathe is safe. Take action this Radon Action Month (November) or any time of year by testing your home.

    For more information, visit the Take Action on Radon website or Health Canada's official page. You can find certified professionals through the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP).