'Dangerously high' levels of Radon gas present in one in three Sask. homes: study
One in three homes in Saskatchewan appear to have dangerously high radon gas levels, according to a recent report from the Evict Radon National study team.
Radon is a tasteless, odorless and colorless radioactive gas that rises from the ground, it is formed when uranium breaks down in soil and rock.
Long term radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the country behind smoking, according to Health Canada.
It can enter homes through cracks in basement floors or other openings in the foundation.
At one in every three homes, Saskatchewan has some of the highest levels of radon in all of Canada, according to the study.
The national average is one in every five homes.
Health Canada says if homes have radon levels above 200 bequerels per cubic meter that is considered dangerously high.
Lung Saskatchewan says radon exposure is connected to the deaths of 3,000 Canadians ever year.
Researchers at the University of Calgary found in a countrywide study that an estimated 10.3 million Canadians live in homes with radon levels above Health Canada’s guidelines. Readings from 775,000 urban and rural buildings were complied.
With November known as Radon Acton Month, the charity is urging people to purchase a test kit and see if their home is in the danger zone.
“Given the high levels of uranium in our soil, it is critical to test your home to ensure all members of your family are protected from the risk of lung cancer caused by radon gas exposure. Everyone in Saskatchewan should test their home for radon,” Erin Kuan, president and CEO of Lung Saskatchewan, said in a news release.
Radon test kits can be bought at many stores and ordered from HomeRadonTest.ca.
For homes that have dangerously high levels, mitigation systems can be installed.
The federal government says radon levels in most homes can be reduced by more than 80 per cent for about the same cost as other common home repairs, such as replacing a furnace or air conditioning unit.
Radon levels are also known to be high in Manitoba, British Columbia and New Brunswick, according to Statistics Canada.
-- With files from Laura Woodward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.