Test your home for radon

Radon is a colourless, odourless, radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the environment. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soils and rocks. Exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking.

Health Canada's acceptable radon concentration level in homes is 200 Becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3).

Test your home for radon

Get a radon testing kit

• Order a test kit. Make sure the test kit will:
  • be analyzed in Canada; and
  • test your home for at least 3 months.
• Test your home for radon during the winter when your windows are closed.

Hire a certified radon measurement professional

• They'll consult with you about the radon levels in your home and make a plan to reduce them to safe levels.
• Find a list of certified professionals.

Radon and lung cancer

The amount of radon gas in the open air is very small. It can accumulate to higher levels in confined spaces like basements and crawlspaces. Inhaling radon gas particles can damage bronchial and lung tissue and lead to lung cancer. Radon is the:

• 2nd leading cause of lung cancer after smoking; and
• the leading cause of lung cancer for people who have never smoked - this depends on the concentration of radon gas and the number of years a person is exposed.

Smokers are more at risk of developing cancer due to long-term radon exposure.

The risk from radon exposure is long term and depends on 3 things:

• The level of radon
• How long you're been exposed
• Your smoking habits

Radon and smoking

The combination of long-term exposure to radon in a home and smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke can significantly increase the risk of lung cancer. It's estimated 1 in 3 smokers who are exposed to high radon over their lifetime will develop lung cancer.

Consider quitting smoking.

Radon in the Yukon

There's radon in all Yukon communities and every subdivision in Whitehorse.

Each home is different. Radon levels will be different based on:

• the geology of an area;
• ground composition;
• house construction; and
• local environmental conditions, including:
  • wind exposure;
  • weather;
  • soil type; and
  • the amount of radon in the ground under the home.

After you get your test results

If you've tested your home and the results are over the recommended (200 Bq/m3) amount, contact a certified professional in your area. They'll let you know how to reduce the radon levels in your home.

Health Canada recommends reducing radon levels below 200 Bq/m3 within:

• one year if the radon test indicates levels above 600 Bq/m3; and
• two years if the concentrations are between 200 and 600 Bq/m3.

Radon screener lending program