Now recognized as the second-leading cause for lung cancer after smoking by the United State's Environmental Protection Agency, radon may be a problem in some Rossland homes, and the regional health authority has recommended that everyone test their homes.
The gas can be found in most homes, but levels vary greatly and can cross unsafe thresholds — defined as 200 becquerels (a measure of radioactivity) per cubic metre by Health Canada.
Confined spaces such as basements are particularly likely to accumulate dangerous levels, and both old and new houses may be affected, but the colourless, odourless, dense gas cannot be detected without special testing kits.
The medical health officer for the regional hospital, Paul Hasselback, held a meeting attended by Coun. Kathy Wallace in which the issue of radon was raised.
"We need to get the word out there to citizens that radon, although it comes from decomposing uranium, doesn't necessarily occur only near a uranium source. You never know where it lies," Wallace said.
Radon is formed naturally as part of the radioactive decay of uranium, which has a half-life of about 4.5 billion years — the same length of time as the age of the Earth itself — so we can expect radon to be around for a while yet.
Wallace noted that there are recognized "hotspots" in Castlegar and Genelle, but there are likely others as well that have not been discovered. Problem areas may be very localized and need not be near a known hot spot.
"There is a possibility that homes in Rossland have a radon issue and [health authorities] are suggesting that individuals have their homes tested," she said.
Coun. Andy Stradling has experience in the issue of unsafe levels of radon from mining communities in the U.K.
"Every time the earth is excavated, there is a danger of radon. People who excavate old volcanoes, like a basement in Rossland, for example, are sometimes susceptible to radon exposure," he said.
Stradling would like to make information on radon testing easily available, "not to be alarmist, just to make people aware of what is a relatively new issue surfacing. It's certainly a major health issue if you have it and it goes undetected."
Instructions for radon testing are available on Health Canada's website, www.hc-sc.gc.ca. Navigate through links to "radon" from "radiation" under "environmental & workplace health." Then follow the link "test for it" in the description on "what you can do to protect yourself and your family."
Health Canada recommends that homes be tested for a minimum of three months, ideally between October and April, using home testing kits that can be purchased for between $50 and $100.
If unacceptable levels of radon gas are found, Health Canada says it can be mitigated by renovating unfinished basement floors, sealing cracks, and ventilating the subfloor.
