A potentially deadly gas is quietly accumulating in homes across Canada, posing a significant health risk. Radon, an odorless and colorless gas, originates from the ground and can seep into homes through cracks and sump pumps.
Radon , an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas, is being found at dangerously high levels inside homes, affecting 17.8 percent or approximately one in every five Canadians. ' Radon is a gas that comes from the ground,' said Alex Budd, owner of Budd Radon Services. 'It's released from the uranium contained inside of rock.' 'It's released underneath your home, leaks up into your home and it can accumulate in your home and cause lung cancer .
'He says the gas often finds its way inside homes through foundation cracks and sump pumps, seeping up through soil via the path of least resistance. Experts say radon levels inside homes can be higher in the winter, due to the ground being frozen. The lack of ventilation within homes because of closed windows is also a contributing factor. Budd recommends all homeowners test their properties as there is no way of knowing if your home is exposed to high levels of radon without one. Health Canada's radon action guideline is 200 becquerels per meter cubed (Bq/m³). In the United States, it's 150 Bq/m³ and the World Health Organization recommends nothing over 100 Bq/m³ Budd says Health Canada advises mitigation within a year if levels are over 200 Bq/m³ to avoid adverse health effects, although impacts vary based on individuals. 'It's like smoking, right? Some people smoke their whole lives, they never get lung cancer. Some people get it fairly young. It's the same thing with radon,' he said.Budd says the average cost for a mitigating system could cost a homeowner approximately $2,500, and involves installing a ventilation system that draws radon out from under a home and expels it into the atmosphere. 'It takes all the air from underneath the concrete, brings it to the fan, and then exhausts it outside, making sure that it doesn't have a chance to leak up into the home,' he sai
RADON HEALTH CANADA HOMES LUNG CANCER
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