radon

Until this week, I had never heard of radon. How about you?
What I’ve learned is that radon is an invisible, colorless, odorless gas that can easily go undetected, potentially causing long-term health effects. It’s the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada (estimated to be the cause of 16% of lung cancers ).
        The Government of Canada website has information about radon, including how radon gas comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. When radon mixes with the air outside, it’s not a problem: the air outside dilutes the amount of radon. But when radon seeps into a closed-in space like a house, it can be harmful and accumulate to high levels where it becomes a risk to the health of you and your family.
          The problem is that radon gas breaks down to form radioactive elements that can be inhaled into the lungs. In the lungs, radon continues to breakdown, creating radioactive particles that release small bursts of energy. This energy is absorbed by nearby lung tissue, damaging the lung cells. When cells are damaged, they have the potential to result in cancer when they reproduce.
Do you live in a building with high radon levels? If so, you’re at higher risk for lung cancer.
​          This week, we bought a radon detector and discovered we live in a house that has high levels. And so, we have invited a rep from “Mr. Radon” to come here and investigate. We’ll discover what we need to do to prevent this problem. Basically, the goal is to capture the radon from underneath the basement floor where it's being created, and vent it outside where it's not going to bother anyone.
            Who knew?

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