Nov. 15, 2017
U荔枝视频 researcher launches Evict Radon campaign
Aaron Goodarzi says the winter months are the best time of the year to test your home for radon.
Riley Brandt, 荔枝视频
researchers are launching a provincewide campaign to encourage all Albertans to have their homes tested for radon gas 鈥 for their own safety and to help map household radon throughout the province. Radon is a known carcinogen. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking.
鈥淲e are launching the awareness campaign to educate people about the effects of radon gas and encourage as many Albertans as possible to test their homes while also gathering data for medical research,鈥 says Aaron Goodarzi, PhD, assistant professor in the departments of and and a member of the . 鈥淲e鈥檝e proven radon is prevalent throughout southern Alberta and in 荔枝视频 area homes. Now we want to expand our research to include all areas of the province.鈥
Goodarzi and team tested radon levels in more than 2,300 荔枝视频 and area homes. One in eight homes exceeded Health Canada鈥檚 acceptable radon levels. The study was published March 29, 2017, in .
That study deeply affected Erin Dowell, a mother living in the Bridgeland community of 荔枝视频.
鈥淎fter I read an article about the prevalence of radon gas in 荔枝视频 homes, I immediately had our house tested. The radon gas levels were between 2.5 and four times higher than Health Canada鈥檚 acceptable limits. Since I have two young children at home, the news of my very high radon levels hit me even harder,鈥 she says. 鈥淚 had our house mitigated by a certified radon gas company. Now radon gas levels are well below acceptable levels.鈥
鈥淩adon is a significant issue in Alberta, and while there is an effective solution, the subject is embedded with scientific technical language,鈥 says Brent Alexander, chair of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation that is providing funding for the campaign. 鈥淭he Evict Radon awareness campaign will clearly communicate the value of testing for radon and mitigation to all Albertans which will result in healthier homes across our province.鈥
Goodarzi says now is the best time to test for radon. 鈥淭he winter months, now to April, are the ideal time to test your home for radon. That鈥檚 when we spend more time inside, and due to the cold our homes are sealed up tight 鈥 the perfect conditions for radon exposure,鈥 he says.
Learn more about the Evict Radon campaign and sign up for your radon kit at . The radon kits used in the study cost $60.