What is radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in the ground throughout the world. You cannot see, taste or smell it. Most buildings will contain some amount of radon gas, but the only way to know if levels are high is to conduct a radon test.
How does radon get indoors?
Radon takes the easiest path into buildings through rocks, soil, dirt and concrete floors and foundation seams. Heating and ventilation systems influence radon levels too. During the cooler months, windows and doors are often closed and rising warm air enables radon to escape from the ground indoors.
Source: Natural Resources Canada, contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Why care?
Radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and is the number one environmental cancer-causing agent. According to the radon potential map for British Columbia, the relative radon hazard for most of the Central Okanagan area is considered Zone 1-High.
- Radon Awareness Facebook Live webinar - October 26, 2022
- Central Okanagan Radon Test Kit Challenge Community Reports Results
- Webinar Community Results 2020 - Aug. 18, 2021
The British Columbia Lung Foundation states that Canadians spend 90% of their day indoors, with about 70% at home and 20% at work or school. The air we breathe indoor can contain particulates, gases, allergens and fumes that can significantly impact our health in both the short and long term. Knowing the main indoor air pollutants, their sources, and how to reduce them are key to reducing harm to our health.
Health Canada recommends efforts should be taken to get radon to as far below the Canadian Guideline of 200 Bq/m3. To determine radon levels, buildings should be tested. Most buildings can reduce the radon to levels well below the guideline at reasonable costs.
Fall 2022 - free radon test kit program |
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The Central Okanagan Air Quality program with the support of Interior Health, Take Action on Radon and all local governments provided a limited number of FREE radon test kits and a radon awareness webinar to interested participants within the Central Okanagan to test their indoor environment. No area is radon free, and elevated radon levels can be found in all types of buildings, homes, workplaces, schools, etc.
Resources:
Who qualifies for the free radon detection program?Central Okanagan residents including property owners, tenants and workplace occupants within:
A limited number of test kits are available in 2022:
Limited to one free radon detector test kit per property; owners, tenants or workplaces.
Submitting testsAll test kits that are returned to the collection points above between February 21 to 24, 2023 will be sent to a laboratory for analysis.
If you miss the drop off dates - Your radon test kit can still be analyzed. You are responsible for the cost of mailing it to the lab for analysis.
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Radon mitigation grant |
Thanks for your interest, all funds have been allocated to 48 Central Okanagan residents. While there's no guarantee a new mitigation grant will be available in our region, if there is you will find information here and through RDCO social media. Please follow to be informed of any future rebate opportunities. Health Canada recommends that every home should be tested for radon using a 91-day radon test. The Government of Canada has established a Guideline level for radon of 200 Bq/m3 and recommends that any home that tests above this level should be mitigated. The most effective radon mitigation method is an Active Soil Depressurization (ASD) system. This system collects the radon from beneath the home’s foundation and exhausts it directly outside before it has a chance to enter the home. These systems can reduce indoor radon levels by over 90%, but they need to be installed by a professional. Canada has a certification program for radon professionals; the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP), with radon professionals available across the country. For many Canadians, the cost of installing an ASD system can defer mitigation prolonging the potential health risks of high, indoor radon level. The cost of installing an ASD mitigation system in a home varies based on the construction of the home and its location; it can range from approximately $1,000 up to $ 9,000, with an average system installation cost of $ 2,800. This mitigation grant (now closed) responded to the needs of the Central Okanagan community with the intent of encouraging residents to reduce elevated of radon levels. Requirements
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Test results
March 2023 - Participants are receiving their test results by email. We encourage participants to check their email inbox or junk email to access their radon monitoring report. Thanks for participating.
Health Canada and health experts recommend action should be taken to reduce radon exposure.
| Fix now | Fix soon |
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If your radon levels are 600+ Bq/m3 |
If your radon levels are 200 to 600 Bq/m3 |
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You should aim to reduce your radon within one year |
You should aim to reduce your radon within two years |
- Understanding your test results
- Find a certified radon professional to help fix the radon level in your home or business.
School Screening Project 2020-2022
In September 2020, the Air Quality program successfully applied and received $20,200 in funding from Health Canada for a Radon Outreach Project. The project’s goal is: by initiating screening of radon levels on selected schools in the Central Okanagan, school operators will learn how easy it is to test for radon, get radon on their agenda, mitigate where necessary to lower radon exposure to children and staff, and through and online campaign raise radon awareness region-wide.
This is a collaborative project with School District 23, Independent Schools, Interior Health, CARST and Health Canada and will see 55 elementary schools screened for radon in 2020-2022.
Frequently asked questions
My home is new. Should I still test for radon? |
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It's always a good idea to have your house tested. Please see Interior Health's pdf on radon in your new home.
The Radon Provisions of the BC Building Code, 2018 changed. Under Division B Section 9.13.4. Soil Gas Control, there are requirements for a rough-ins for a subfloor depressurization system.
Homes still need to be tested after occupancy.
If radon levels are high, the completion of a subfloor depressurization system may be necessary to reduce the radon concentration to a level below the guideline specified by Health Canada. |
Buying a new or older home and you would like to know its radon levels? |
| In BC, according to the BC Financial Services Authority’s Radon Precautions Guidelines real estate professionals have the duty to advise sellers and landlords that radon levels of 200 Bq/m3 or more constitute a material latent defect and must be disclosed to buyers and tenants. |
Where can I purchase a radon test kit? |
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Options:
Please note that long-term kits are recommended (91 days) during the cold weather heating season. |
How does the test kit work? |
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Long term radon detectors are most commonly alpha track devices.
Alpha track detectors contain a small piece of plastic which gets ‘etched’ or marked by the energy that is released from the radon decay process. This mark on the plastic is from the same impact that can damage your lung tissue, however on the plastic inside the detector it leaves a mark that can be counted by the lab. |
Where do I send my radon test? |
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Your kit will have instructions on it with where to submit the radon detector. |
Where can I read more? |
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