Radon is an odourless, tasteless, invisible radioactive gas that can be found in Saskatchewan homes, and exposure to the gas can increase your risk of lung cancer.
Effie Kosmas, manager of prevention and policy with Lung Sask, said radon can enter a home at any point where a house is in contact with the ground, including foundation cracks and other openings.
“Once it’s inside the home, the radon can build up to high levels,” explained Kosmas.
“As radon breaks down, it’s forming radioactive particles that release energy. When we inhale that air that contains the radon, that energy being released can damage the cells in our lungs and DNA, which, over time, can lead to the development of lung cancer.”
Kosmas said Saskatchewan has some of the highest radon levels in the country. “According to the results of the new Evict Radon National Study that came out this October, around 1 in every 3 Saskatchewan homes has high levels of radon gas that exceed Health Canada’s radon guidelines of 200 becquerels per cubic metre.”
Testing kits are available for radon, with the fall and winter months being the best time to get the most accurate readings as doors and windows are being opened less often to let the gas escape.
Radon testing kits are available for free through the Moose Jaw Public Library’s ‘Library of Things’ Oct. 1 through Apr. 1. Find more information about those kits here.
You can also find radon testing kits for purchase, and more information about radon, at homeradontest.ca