{"id":14960,"date":"2018-04-13T19:33:46","date_gmt":"2018-04-13T23:33:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.comfortplusheatandcool.com\/?p=2956"},"modified":"2021-01-28T11:12:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T16:12:16","slug":"is-there-too-much-radon-in-your-home-only-6-per-cent-of-canadians-test-for-this-dangerous-gas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.designthinking.agency\/comfortplus2024\/is-there-too-much-radon-in-your-home-only-6-per-cent-of-canadians-test-for-this-dangerous-gas\/","title":{"rendered":"Is There Too Much Radon in Your Home? Only 6 per cent of Canadians Test for this Dangerous Gas!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Article By\u00a0Monique Scotti<\/a>\u00a0National Online Journalist, Politics \u00a0Global News<\/em><\/p>\n

The government of Canada is gearing up for another public education push linked to radon, a potentially harmful gas lurking in high concentrations in close to 1 in 10 Canadian homes.<\/p>\n

The long-term effects of inhaling the odourless, colourless radioactive gas have been known for years, but it\u2019s only in the last decade that Health Canada has made a concerted effort to educate people about radon.<\/p>\n

After tobacco, it\u2019s the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada, and is responsible for up to 3,300 deaths per year. But only one in two households has even heard about it, according to Statistics Canada.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Goodarzi pointed out that of all the cancer-causing agents people are exposed to, radon is one of the easiest to tackle. Nobody\u2019s addicted to it, he noted, and there\u2019s no lobby supporting it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s possibly the lowest-hanging fruit for a citizen to reduce potentially a lethal source of cancer for them,\u201d Goodarzi said.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI know people with a Smart TV that costs double what it would take to prevent your family from getting a lethal lung cancer.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Still, Health Canada says only six per cent of Canadian homeowners have actually tested for the gas.<\/p>\n

Who should worry about radon?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Radon gas originates beneath our feet, produced by the decay of uranium found in soil, rock or water. It\u2019s found in just about every building.<\/p>\n

The concentrations are usually too low to cause problems, but anything over\u00a0200 Bq\/m3 is considered potentially harmful over an extended period of time.<\/p>\n

Living for decades in a home with concentrations above 800\u00a0Bq\/m3 is more likely to kill you than all accidental causes of death combined, according to Health Canada.<\/em><\/p>\n

Watch this video from Mike Holmes to find out more on the topic. Testing and inspection by\u00a0a certified radon specialist is key.<\/p>\n