'It is everywhere': How you can test for radon in your home

Radon -- a radioactive gas that is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers – can easily enter your home.

Now, Health Canada is reminding homeowners to check for large amounts of the gas in their homes.

“Radon is a naturally occurring gas. It’s just in the atmosphere. It is everywhere, and it is radioactive,” explained Eveline Schroth, senior environmental health specialist with Health Canada, in an interview on Tuesday.

“It’s a breakdown product of uranium, which is in the soil, and as it decays, gas comes out.”

Schroth said that radon is not a concern when it is outside, as it gets diluted. However, when it enters the home it has the chance to build up. She added that over long periods, the build-up can result in lung cancer.

In terms of places in Canada with high levels of radon, Schroth said Manitoba is on the higher end.

Based on the data, Health Canada has determined that across the country about seven per cent of Canadian homes are above what is considered a safe radon level, but in Manitoba, that number is 19.4 per cent.

“So quite a lot higher. The Prairies are a bit higher. Saskatchewan is pretty high as well,” Schroth said.

TESTING AND PREVENTION

According to Schroth, it is currently the best time of year to test for radon.

She said the first thing you want to check for is whether your levels are too high, and that people should test for about three months.

“Because our houses are closed up right now, and we have the heat on, this is the best time of year to test,” she explained.

“We do encourage people to test for long periods of time, because it’s a long-term health concern.”

Homeowners can purchase radon test kits from home improvement stores. From there, they place the kit somewhere in their home, such as a coffee table or a nightstand, and leave it for three months. After that, the test is sent to a lab, which will provide the results.

If a homeowner’s radon levels are high, Schroth recommends hiring a certified professional to help with the situation. However, a homeowner can also deal with the problem on their own.

“We do have a guidebook at the Health Canada website, but probably better to get a professional to do it,” she said.

“If you think about what’s going on, you have a radioactive gas coming from the soil into your house, the most logical thing to do is just pump it out, and that’s effectively what they do.”

Schroth suggested another way to deal with radon exposure is by sealing up cracks in your basement, adding that this may not be a perfect solution.

“Houses are always shifting. It’s certainly a good thing to do, [but] it may not solve your whole problem,” she said.

As part of the National Building Code, Schroth said that homes built since 2010 have a rough-in pipe to mitigate potentially high radon levels. However, she emphasized that those who have this pipe in their house still need to test for radon.

“They’ve got the rough-in, which is great, makes it easier, but they still absolutely have to test. It just makes it more straightforward because you have part of the system in place already,” Schroth said.

Though no amount of radioactive material is ever safe, Health Canada does have a guideline radon level that homeowners should stay below.

- With files from CTV’s Rachel Lagace.