Who Knew?

"I think they need to take it very seriously.  It's much mores significant than a lot of other environmental health risks that people react to, for example [plastics ingredient] bisphenol-A and throwing out all the plastic baby bottles, when the risk is quite a bit smaller than radon.

"The problem is that that risk is tangible and you can blame someone: the people who made those bottles.  With radon, you can't blame anyone, because it's naturally occurring.  You can't smell it, see it or taste it.  And it's not immediate, it's long term."  Kelly Bush, Health Canada spokesperson

The public is vaguely aware that there are harmful chemicals and other substances all around us, in the earth we and our homes stand upon, in the air we breathe, and in the food we eat.  For the most part, arsenic exists naturally, and it's a deadly poison, but we take it up in such minuscule quantities in the natural environment it poses no risk to our health, unless there's something like a chemical spill from an industrial site; mercury or something lethal of that nature contaminating the environment.


But radon.  Seeping without our awareness into homes and in the event, representing the cause of lung-cancer deaths, far more than previously estimated by Health Canada?  A recently-undertaken study has concluded that radon in the environment (radioactive gas), is quite prevalent in some areas.  So much so that it represents about 16% causative of lung cancer cases; whereas the previous estimate held that number to be 10%. Because of exposure to radon naturally produced when soil-based uranium degrades, about 3,200 Canadians die on an annual basis. 

Radon reduction needs to be increased, urge researchers at Health Canada, publishing their results in the journal Radiation Protection Dosimetry.  And, according to Kelly Bush of Health Canada, it's an "uphill battle" to inform people, despite the increased public awareness and warning efforts of Health Canada.  People are simply more comfortable setting aside the notion of harms in the soil, whereas man-made substances that threaten health and safety are addressed.

"I get the calls from the 40- or 50-year-old Canadians with lung cancer who have never smoked and they say 'I wish I had known', or 'I wish I had tested'.  And that's what keeps me going", she states, recommending that Canadians everywhere have their homes tested for radon levels.  There are do-it-yourself testing kits sold at hardware outlets.  Alternately, professionals can be hired to do the testing.  And then, according to the results, corrective action taken. 


Kits cost about $50.  If radon levels exceed 200 Bqm3, "active soil depressurization" should be undertaken, whereby a pipe is installed in the earth below the house foundation, fed outside the house in a process that ends up drawing over 90% of the contaminated air away from the home.  The cost of the procedure ranges from $1,000 to $3,000. 


Radon is the next largest cause of the most deadly type of malignant lung cancer, after smoking.  Homes in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick are likelier than other provinces to register high levels of radon exposure.  One in five Manitoba and New Brunswick homes register above the permissible limit of radon gas.  But 7% of houses nationally register levels of radon above 200 Becquerels per cubic metre of air, alerting to the need of correction.