What Is Radon? | Radon Rapid Response

What Is Radon?

The Invisible Guest

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced from the decay of uranium found in soil, rock, and water.

Radon gas is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, making it difficult to detect without specialized equipment.

Radon enters your home via the basement foundation.
As we heat our homes, the warm air ascends and leaves through the attic.
This upward air movement generates a "stack effect," causing negative pressure in the basement.
This negative pressure functions like a vacuum on the foundation slab, pulling in air and radon gas.

Radon is everywhere, it comes from the soil

Radon is a radioactive gas

If you smoke and have high radon, you have a 1 in 3 chance of developing lung cancer

Radon is the #1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers

A radon level of 148 bq/m3 is equivalent of smoking 8 cigarettes per day or 200 chest X-rays per year.

Lung cancer contributes to 1/3 of all cancer deaths

1 in 5 homes in Canada are above Health Canada’s guidelines

As your radon levels increase, so does your risk.

The World Health Organization (WHO) have classified radon as a Group 1 carcinogen.
Radon is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, accounting for thousands of lung cancer deaths annually.
When radon gas is released from the ground, it can accumulate in buildings, particularly in enclosed spaces such as basements and lower levels.
The inhalation of radon and its decay products is a significant health concern, as exposure to high levels of radon over time has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer.
When radon decays, it forms radioactive particles that can become trapped in the lungs when inhaled. These particles emit radiation that can damage lung tissue and lead to mutations in the DNA of lung cells and potentially result in the development of cancerous cells.