Back in March and April, we made a conscious decision to go silent during the pandemic. We figured; the last thing people needed to worry about right now was another problem. Instead, we focused internally on our strategic goals so we can continue to advance our work across Canada.
However, the pandemic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere at the moment. And although that is depressing, it’s, unfortunately, our current reality. Because many of you are like us and are spending more time inside, especially as winter approaches, we can no longer be silent. 2020 needs to be the year you make sure the air quality inside your home is as healthy as it can be, and that means testing your home for radon gas.
Radon is a serious issue in Canada, and it’s something we should not ignore. Long term exposure in a home with high levels of radon is dangerous to your health. If you are continually breathing in this radioactive gas, there is a high probability you could be diagnosed with lung cancer later in life. Our goal at Evict Radon is to make sure that doesn’t happen.
Testing for radon is the first step, and it’s a simple first step. All you need to do is order a long-term alpha track detector and leave it in your home for at least three months. Once complete, you’ll send it to the laboratory for analysis and receive a report with your level. According to Health Canada, the maximum exposure limit should be 200Bq/m3. That means anything above that number increases your risk of future radon-induced lung cancer.
At Evict Radon, we want to encourage as many people as possible to test for radon through our cross-Canada research study. We’re a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to solving Canada’s large and worsening radon-gas exposure problem. By ordering one of our kits, you’re consenting to help us gain the information necessary to:
- Understand what type of property produces a high or low radon environment and why
- Identify who in society are the most at risk from radon exposure
- Make meaningful changes to policy to engineer high radon out of our future buildings
Everything we do strictly adheres to national research ethics standards and best practices for controlled studies that will pass academic peer-review and, ultimately, very close scrutiny from the public and experts. Achieving a risk-free radon future for Canada is possible, and, if successful, together, we’ll prevent thousands of new, mostly high lethality lung cancers each year.
So, take the first step, order a radon test kit and test your home this winter. We may be at home for a while longer, so let’s take the right precaution to ensure the air in our homes is as safe as it can be.
If you have any questions about radon or want more information about the study, please visit our website www.stg-evictradon-staging.kinsta.cloud or contact us at [email protected]
Let’s work together to Evict Radon from our homes.
Weston Jacques, Executive Director
