Frequently Asked Questions

Testing Process

Our scientists perform hundreds of control tests to ensure quality and accuracy. These tests include blanks (un-exposed tests put through the whole process to ensure the quality), duplicates (you may receive a second test device at no cost, which must be placed side-by-side with the first test so we can ensure reproducibility of readings) and spiked positives (tests we send to labs to be exposed to known amounts of radon, to ensure that devices are accurate).

Most frequently, this is because something went wrong when you registered your device or your email has blocked the email from the lab with your report.

If you still have your commission ID & password, you can check for yourself. Click ‘end my test’ at the top of our website to access the log-in to the lab website directly. Log in using your ID and password. If your lab report is available, you will see a button with ‘download report’. 

It can take 4-8 weeks to get your results depending on a number of factors such as shipping time. If it has been longer than that, send us an email at [email protected] and we will do our best to track down your results. 

 

Place your test device on the lowest regularly occupied level of your home. We have detailed placement advice here.

Generally speaking, if you are carrying out major renovations to the property, you should wait until they are completed before testing for radon. These include things such as: developing a basement, replacing the roof or windows, installing new furnaces or air conditioning units, installing or removing fireplaces, installing or removing fans, installing or exchanging building insulation and other major changes that may impact how air is leaving, entering or being retained in the property. Minor renovations, such as painting walls, changing carpets, or replacing appliances will not impact a radon reading and so are not a reason to delay testing.

We advise that new homes should only be tested in the second winter from the time the foundation was built. That is because the foundation will continue to “cure” (shrink) for 18 months from the time it was poured. As it cures, the gaps between the foundation and the walls of the basement will change, impacting how radon enters the home.

For detailed instructions on the return process, please visit click here.

No problem, it happens. 

Once you have completed the 90+ day test, you’ll need to end your device by visiting www.evictradon.org and clicking ‘end my test’. Once you have done that, you are ready to send the device back to the lab. The device is durable and can be placed as is, into a shipping box or padded envelope. Ensure you tape the box or seal the envelope. Follow the return instructions and take the device to the nearest post office.

This is only relevant for participants who purchased their radon detection kit(s) before November 26th 2021. 

For all participants who purchased their radon testing kits from our study before the end of November 2021, these versions of our kits do not include pre-paid return shipping and use a slightly different device and process (that was not available prior to this date).

If you have one of these kits (the easiest way to tell is if you have a round, ‘hockey puck’ shaped device) then, when your testing period ends (whenever that might be), you will have to ship the device to the to the North American collection hub (which is in Illinois, USA) using the address provided in your kit or here.

Just as a reminder, NONE of your data is held in the USA, and your test is not going to be ‘read’ in the USA. All data is held on either Canadian or EU servers, both subject to incredibly rigorous data privacy regulations. 

Please see our returned shipping details here.

 

Canada is now at the stage where it is no longer sufficient to just promote person-by-person radon testing, we need system-wide change. Basic radon testing programs have been in operation for decades, from many, many organizations, yet homes continue to be constructed containing more and more radon, and cases of never-smoker (radon-attributable) lung cancers continue to rise. By testing your home with one of our Evict Radon study test kits, you’re automatically enrolled into the largest Canadian multi-university research study operating today. Each participant is helping public university-based researchers across Canada understand radon exposure and develop new ways to protect ourselves and our loved ones. The Evict Radon national study team embraces research strategies across disciplines to gain the information necessary to:

  • Learn how to engineer radon out of our buildings (before they are even built).
  • Identify who are the most at risk from radon exposure in society, and how to support them.
  • Make meaningful changes to radon reduction policies across sectors.

This must be done by strictly adhering to national research ethics standards, as well as best practices for controlled studies that will pass academic peer-review and, ultimately, very close scrutiny from the public and experts. Achieving this is very possible and, if successful, will transform the ability to prevent lung cancers caused by radon.

Generally we advise retests under these conditions:

  1. If you’ve done some renovations or related things that may have altered the way your home “breathes” and air flows within it. Things like this would include, for example, a new furnace, developing a basement, getting new windows or changing the level of window glazing, adding or removing a window/door/wall, adding or decommissioning a chimney, adding new roof insulation, getting a new roof, getting AC, adding HRV to the heating system… and things like that.
  2. Health Canada recommends a retest every 5 years. If you wish to retest your home with Evict Radon, our kits are sold year-round. 

If you want to support a scientific study through Canadian Universities, we offer an at-cost kit for $53.99 through the Evict Radon National Study. We use this data to effect change for Canadians. 

Mitigation

The 2010 National Building Code for Canada mandated that homes should be built with both a vapour barrier between the foundation and washed gravel underneath, and a portal for a future radon mitigation device. Different provinces adopted this code at different times. In Alberta, only homes built from early 2016 onwards are likely to have this rough in. In Saskatchewan, homes built mid 2013 onwards are likely to have this. In BC, only homes built early 2013 onwards and in the interior are likely to have this. Homes on the BC coast are still not required to have this. A radon mitigation rough-in is not an active mitigation device. It is there to make it easier and most cost-effective to install a future device.

We have detailed a guide on how to interpret your radon results. To find out more, please click here.

Reducing radon levels can save lives. In some cases, radon levels can be reduced by more than 80%. Hiring a certified Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) professional will ensure an effective radon reduction. 

According to Health Canada, these units can reduce radon by up to 50%, however, this is not a guaranteed fix as it does not address the core issue of the radon problem. To best address the radon problem, it is recommended to consult a C-NRPP radon professional. Our advice is to ask for at least three quotes from different mitigation companies and treat this as any home renovation. 

The cost of radon mitigation depends on many factors, including but not limited to house type, location, number of storeys etc. Contact a certified Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program provider to determine the best radon reduction method for your home. Our advice is to ask for at least three quotes from different mitigation companies and treat this as any home renovation. 

Radon can be easily prevented from entering most properties. This is usually quick (1-2 days’ work) and, even for the most drastic (but effective) of interventions, it still only costs about the same as replacing a few windows. The important thing to recognize is that determining if your home has high radon will not devalue your property, as it is so easily solved. Homes that have been ‘mitigated’ for high radon tend to have the lowest achievable levels – and have amongst the healthiest of indoor air. In other parts of the world, a radon mitigation device is seen even as a selling feature. When considering mitigation, always find someone with C-NRPP (Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program) certification. C-NRPP certification is approved by Health Canada. 

Sub-slab depressurization (also called active soil depressurization) is the most effective and reliable radon reduction technique. It is also the most common method used by C-NRPP-certified professionals. This method involves installing a pipe through the foundation floor slab and attaching a fan that runs continuously to draw the radon gas from below the home and release it into the outdoors where it is quickly diluted. This system also reverses the air pressure difference between the house and the soil, reducing the amount of radon that is drawn into the home through the foundation. One, or sometimes multiple, suction points are inserted through the floor slab into the crushed rock or soil underneath to effectively reduce the radon level in the home. The sub-slab depressurization pipe is vented at the ground level of the home. The fan can be placed in the basement or an area outside of the living space such as in a garage. If the fan is placed inside the living space of the home, it is usually vented sideways through the rim joist at ground level, with the fan close to the exhaust location. When the fan is placed outside of the living space (e.g. garage) then it is typically vented upwards above the roof. When any active depressurization system is installed, it is recommended to make sure that its operation does not cause back-drafting of combustion appliances such as a furnace, water heater, fireplace, or wood stove in the home. Backdrafting can happen when a room with a combustion appliance is depressurized so much that smoke and combustion gases spill into the home instead of venting outdoors. Backdraft testing may be done by a trained radon-reduction specialist or a heating contractor.

Radon

Radon is carcinogenic, and exposure to radon has been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer. The objective of this study was to quantify the proportion and number of lung cancer cases in Alberta in 2012 that could be attributed to residential radon exposure. In June 2017, the U of C published a study “Lung cancer incidence attributed to residential radon exposure in Alberta in 2012”. Click here to read the research. 

Radon (²²²Rn) is an invisible, odourless, tasteless and radioactive gas, and it is on the periodic table of elements (#86), can easily be measured and is responsible for 16% of lung cancer deaths in Canada, or more than 3000 deaths per year. Radon gas arises naturally from under the ground (from uranium and radium in the soil) and is often drawn up and contained inside modern buildings to high and cancer-causing levels in indoor air. Residential radon is measured in Becquerels per metre cubed (Bq/m³), where one Bq/m³ represents one atom of radon emitting its radiation every second in a cubic metre of air. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified radon as a group 1 carcinogen (meaning it is absolutely known to cause cancer). Thus, high radon exposure is a human-made problem but is solvable.  

The only way to know your radon exposure levels is to test. The easiest way is to use a cost-effective long-term (at least 90 days) radon test kit recommended by Health Canada. There are other ways to test, such as using an electronic radon detector, however, these can be much more expensive and can be easily misinterpreted. To make a reliable health decision, the test needs to last for at least 90 days because radon naturally fluctuates from hour to hour, and day to day. We have seen homes fluctuate thousands of becquerels per metre cubed within a day. However, what matters for health is the long-term average. By having a greater than 90-day test can account for all of these fluctuations and provide you with a reliable reading to base any health decisions.  For more information click here.

The scientific literature shows that there is a 16% increase in your lifetime relative risk of getting lung cancer for every 100 Bq/m³. This means that if your home level is 400 Bq/m³ you will have a 64% increase in your lifetime relative risk of developing lung cancer. This risk was developed with normal human occupancy patterns, meaning a human who spends 12-14 hours in their primary residence and 8-10 hours outside their primary residence. The only way to know if you’re at risk is to test your home for radon. 

Evict Radon National Study

We are headquartered at the University of Calgary (AB), however, we have scientists across Canada.

Yes we are! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and X for constant updates through our Radon Knowledge Series, which aims to educate and create awareness about radon.

To join the study, click here, review our consent material and enroll through the online informed consent process. Provide the necessary information and purchase an at-cost radon test kit that will be delivered to your doorstep via Canada Post. Ensure to follow the steps carefully and join the community of individuals dedicated to advancing radon research.

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