Eston residents research radon gas levels at home
A new report on radon levels in Eston found that 6 out of every 10 homes tested [60%] had radon levels above the Canadian guideline, further emphasizing the need for all residents in Saskatchewan to test for radon. Part of the national “100 Radon Test Kit Challenge”, residents from Eston successfully completed this year’s program even in the face of COVID-19 restrictions.
“We were pleased to see so many residents take on radon testing during the pandemic” says Pam Warkentin, Project Manager at Take Action on Radon. “In fact, as more people switched to working from home, we saw an even greater interest in learning about radon gas levels.”
Radon is a radioactive soil gas that can build to dangerous levels in indoor air, making it the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. Radon exposure also increases the chance of getting lung cancer if you are a smoker. Province-wide the geology of the soil in Saskatchewan provides a high potential for elevated radon levels in homes. Odourless and colourless, the only way to know the level of radon gas in your home is to test for it.
“Radon is a well-established human carcinogen and testing and reducing radon levels is an important way to reduce lung cancer risk.” says Dr. Anne-Marie Nicol, a researcher in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University, “Most people’s radon exposure comes from the time they spend at home, so more time at home leads to greater radon exposure overall”. Lung cancer is still a major problem in Canada, even though the number of people who smoke is decreasing nationwide. “On average, 58 Canadians will die from lung cancer every day, making it the leading cause of cancer death in Canada,” says Tricia Lewchuk, Senior Specialist - Tobacco Cessation, Canadian Cancer Society. “It’s important that Canadians know they can control their risk from radon by testing their homes and reducing their exposure.”
The results for Eston come as no surprise to Warkentin, who is also the executive Director of the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technicians. “Historically, we’ve known that Saskatchewan has high radon levels, but these results reinforce the importance for residents to not only test their homes for radon, but also to take action to lower their radon levels to protect themselves and their families from lung cancer.”
Solutions are readily available for residents who discover their indoor radon levels are dangerously high and Saskatchewan’s Renovation Tax Credit, will provide some financial assistance. Radon mitigation systems can be installed in any home and reduce radon levels by an average of over 90%. The work involved can generally be completed within a day by a certified professional. Canada’s national radon certification program (C-NRPP) provides a searchable list of radon professionals on their website at www.c-nrpp.ca/find-a-professional.
Take Action on Radon will be hosting a webinar Regional Radon Webinar – Releasing the Community Reports on Wednesday, July 7, 7pm PDT. You can find details about the webinar on our website here: www.eston.ca or Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/TownOfEston/
The 100 Radon Test Kit Challenge program is a nation-wide research and awareness project supported by the Take Action on Radon program. The Challenge provides free test kits to communities who want to know more about their radon levels. Participants each receive a confidential individual radon test in addition to the publicly available Community Report summarizing the results of the community testing. Residents who didn’t get a chance to participate but would like to order a test kit can learn more at www.takeactiononradon.ca/test .
About Take Action on Radon
Take Action on Radon is a national initiative that works to bring together radon stakeholders and raise radon awareness across Canada. The initiative is led by the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST), CAREX Canada, and the Canadian Cancer Society.
To learn more about radon and how to test your home, visit: TakeActionOnRadon.ca
More information about the Saskatchewan Renovation Tax credit and its including of radon mitigation can be found on the Lung Association of Saskatchewan’s website here: https://www.lungsask.ca/about-us/news-room/news/2021/01/lung-association-partnership-take-action-radon-coalition-commends
You can find radon related photos free to use: https://pixabay.com/users/takeactiononradon-18149510/
To schedule an interview with a representative, please contact: Pam Warkentin, 204-798-9649 p_warkentin@carst.ca