The second leading cause of lung cancer, behind smoking, could be inside your home without you knowing, according to the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.
November is “Radon Action Month,” an awareness initiative urging residents to get their homes tested for the gas.
It’s colorless, odorless, and occurs naturally when trace amounts of uranium in rocks and soil break down.
According to the Health Unit’s Susan Healey, it’s perfectly safe when it’s outside, but when it gets into your home, it can be dangerously concentrated.
“Radon can enter homes through cracks in foundations, construction joints, gaps around pipes, sump pumps and drains, and exposed rock in basements,” Healey explains. “Some radon will be found in everyone’s home. The health risk increases as the level of radon and the duration of exposure increases.”
Health Canada recommends testing your home for radon over the course of three months during the fall and winter, when levels tend to be higher because of closed windows restricting airflow.
You can get a radon test kit at the Health Unit’s offices in Brockville and Smiths Falls.
