November has been declared Radon Action Month in Canada and an Airdrie company is out to spread the word about the dangers of high radon levels in homes, schools, and businesses.  

The first thing Andrew Arshinoff, co-owner of RadonCare would like you to know is exactly what radon is.

"Radon is a soil gas.  It comes from the breakdown of uranium, which is in the ground and occurs naturally.  It can come into your house through the cracks in your concrete usually and when it comes in it can cause lung cancer.  It's the second leading cause of lung cancer in North America.  It kills an estimated 3,000 people in Canada and around 25,000 in North America."

The University of Calgary has done studies that show one in seven homes in Alberta have above Health Canada's recommended guidelines of 200 becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m³).  The World Health Organization has more stringent guidelines which say 100 Bq/m³ are recommended, putting the level at one of every two homes.

"There is radon everywhere, It's just how much you're being exposed to.  When it builds up to a higher level, that's when the health risks come into play," says Arshinoff.  He believes that every home should be checked for radon and says that November, as Radon Action Month, would be a good time to start having it done.

"Every single person should test definitely. Every single house. Testing is very cheap and very easy to do."

Arshinoff says even if your neighbour has had his home tested and it checked out okay, that doesn't mean your home doesn't need to be tested as well.  "Even if your neighbour has a problem, or doesn't have a problem, it doesn't mean you do or you don't.  We've done many houses where one neighbour will have about 800 becquerels in their house and their neighbour beside them will have 50.  The only way to know if there's radon in your house is to test." 

Unlike other household hazards such as carbon monoxide, radon has no immediate effect on your health. Due to the long latency period of lung cancer, the health effects of long-term exposure to high levels of radon will only be felt several years later. 

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