Breathing radon gas in your home is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. That is according to Health Canada that completed a study about a year ago.
In other words you have a better chance of developing lung cancer from breathing radon gas in your home than you do from breathing second hand smoke. Now does that not put it in perspective?
The problem with radon is that you cannot sense it by ordinary means. You can’t smell it. You can’t taste it. But it is there. Some areas of Ottawa have higher concentrations than others, but it is likely in your house regardless. You can test for radon if you like. There are many different ways to test for radon… the simplest is to use a do-it-yourself kit. These kit are easy to use. Simply place the kit in your basement for a couple of days, then send the kit off to be tested at a lab… and in a few weeks, you’ll have you answer as to what levels of concentration you actually have in your home.
Where you ask does radon come from? Radon is a carcinogenic gas that is under high pressure under ground. The gas is the result of rock formations (underground) breaking down. It is constantly pushing its way above ground to an area of lower pressure. When it does this and the radon is extracted outside of our homes, then it simply moves up in the atmosphere and poses no immediate threat to us. However, when it pushes its way into our homes then it gets trapped. And given that we are building our homes tighter and tighter all the time, that radon has little opportunity to escape naturally, through holes/infiltration in our home’s building envelope. We are simply trapping radon in our homes and, for lack of a better term, writing our own death certificate!
So whether you have high levels or low levels of radon gas in your home, you will want to remove them ASAP! There are two general ways to get rid of radon gas from your home:
The first method to remedy radon gas is to install a radon extractor. This things looks kind of like a chimney coming out of our basement concrete slab floor. The “chimney” creates a low pressure are for the radon to funnel towards. the radon is then pushed to this area, and delivered outside the house. This system works well, is not mechanical (so no moving parts), but it can be cumbersome and unsightly in some circumstances.
The second, and my personal favorite because it also solves so many other issues, is to install a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV)… commonly called and air exchanger. An HRV is a ventilation system that will send polluted “inside” air out, and will bring fresh “outdoor” air into the home. Though while it is changing the air, it is recovering the heat. In essence, you change the air, but don’t lose the heat. The HRV will dilute the polluted indoor “radon filled” air by exhausting it to outside.
There are many other things that a HRV does as well… from removing humidity, air borne chemicals, particulate, viruses among others. An HRV is also one of the best means of fixing issues that lead to mold growth.
For more information please message me at jchapin@climateworks.ca or visit us at www.climateworks.ca.
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