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Radon testing kits, like the one shown, are available for three-week loan from any branch of the Red Deer Public Library. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)
protecting your health

Radon testing kits available at Red Deer Public Library

Nov 7, 2019 | 12:58 PM

Red Deerians can now take home a radon testing kit from their local library.

In partnership with The Lung Association and Health Canada, the Red Deer Public Library has six kits which can be loaned out for three weeks at a time from any branch.

Patricia Stobbe, health administrator for The Lung Association in Alberta and NWT, says, “We want to decrease lung cancer rates caused by radon and we want to encourage everyone to protect their health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, so it’s important that everyone tests their home.”

Radon exposure is estimated to cause around 3000 deaths annually in Canada, and public education about the risks have been ongoing for around 10 years, she notes.

According to The Lung Association, radon is invisible, odourless, tasteless and radioactive, and the only way to know if it is in your home is by testing for it. It is produced when the uranium in soil, rock and water breaks down, and can enter a home through cracks or other openings in a home’s foundation.

Andrew Heshka, regional radiation specialist for Health Canada, says everyone should test their home for radon.

“You can just test once, unless you’re doing major renovations, and then you’d want to test again,” Heshka explains. “The prevalence throughout western Canada, according to Dr. Aaron Goodarzi’s research from the University of Calgary, is about one in six homes will be considered to have high levels of radon.”

A high level is considered more than 200 becquerels per metre (Bq/m). Between 200 and 600 Bq/m, steps should be taken to mitigate the issue within two years. If a reading shows above 600 Bq/m, action should be taken within one year.

Heshka says that could cost a home upwards of $3000, for which there is currently no grant or tax rebate program. Stobbe believes such a program would be fair for homeowners.

Thursday’s launch in Red Deer also falls in line with Lung Cancer Awareness Month, which is observed yearly in November. The program is also happening in Edmonton.