Radon is a naturally occurring gas that enters buildings from the surrounding soil. It is colourless, odourless, tasteless and radioactive. Next to cigarette smoke, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer. It comes into our homes naturally from uranium in the soil.
Radon Measurement
Testing is the only way to know the radon level in your home. Testing is a simple process. It can be done through the use of a short term or long term test placed in the lowest liveable level of your home. It is also best done when the house can be closed up for most of the duration of the test either during winter season or when air conditioning can be used.
To ensure an accurate test your radon measurement provider should be certified and able to provide proper instructions and they should follow a quality assurance program for all their testing devices.
Radonmatters sells radon test kits which provide a good balance of accuracy and cost for homeowners. We have short term and long term tests available. We are certified and follow a quality assurance program.
For more information on Radon Measurement click here.
For Health Canada Protocols click here.
Radon mitigation is the term used to modify your home or building in some way to reduce indoor radon levels. This can be done using a variety of methods depending on the source and the building. CMHC has recommendations of different techniques to reduce radon levels in your home or building. Radonmatters has various products available for this. A properly performed test is the only way to test the radon level within your home. To find out if a problem exists order a radon test kit. As part of its radon measurement service Radonmatters also provides consultation to assist with radon mitigation.
For more information on Radon Mitigation click here.
For CMHC’s Radon A Guide for Canadian Homeowners click here.
Radon and Lung CancerThe radioactive breakdown of radon releases radiation as "alpha particles". Since radon is a gas it gets inhaled into our lungs and when this breakdown occurs it can damage the soft tissue in our lungs. Damage of this nature can change the cells in the soft tissue and this change may lead to lung cancer.
For more information on the health risks of radon see the Health Canada Fact Sheet at: click here.