A new study published today (March 29) shows one in eight Southern Alberta homes have exceedingly high levels of radon gas, especially in Cochrane.

Between 2013-2016, Alberta's Cancer Institute conducted a large scale indoor air radon gas testing survey which involved 2385 homes in Calgary and the surrounding area, including Airdrie and Cochrane. The houses were tested for a minimum of 90.

Results showed 12.4% of the homes exceeded Health Canada's acceptable radon level of 200 Bq/m3, with one in two homes above the World Health Organization's radon danger limit of 100 Bq/m3. Compared to other communities in the study, Cochrane homes had the highest average radon levels in Southern Alberta.

The study shows there were no areas in Southern Alberta free of homes that did not surpass the acceptable limits of radon, meaning homeowners in Southern Alberta should test for radon gas.

Radon gas is an odourless, colourless, radioactive gas that has been linked to lung cancer in non smoking individuals. 

Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, assistant professor in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology at the University of Calgary, says one of the striking findings show newer homes are more at risk.

"Between several thousand homes we examined, newer homes, meaning those built from 1992 and newer, contained higher radon than older homes. In fact homes built from 1992 contained 31.5% higher average radon levels compared to those older properties."

Dr. Goodarzi says one of the reasons for higher levels is the size of newer homes compared to older ones. Newer homes are also air tight for energy efficiency. Tall homes are also especially susceptible.

"The collection of all those different factors is contributing to the higher radon we are seeing in newer properties."

The good news is all the homes that tested and then opted for mitigation were 100% effective at reducing levels not just to acceptable levels but well below 100 Bq/m3 only a few hours after a installing a device.

Alberta's new building code (2015) already adopted legislation to include a radon mitigation device roughed in, which includes a pipe capped off ready for a radon tests, making mitigation simple. For older homes, results of the survey have been passed on to the Ministry of Health to see whether or not mitigation relief could be provided through government legislation. Goodarzi says he is hoping it will be considered as part of a cancer prevention strategy.

"This is something that warrants, perhaps, an eligible expense on Health and Wellness spending accounts. In the future we might be able to see deductions on things like insurance and what not, if you correctly removed that as a risk factor of cancer in your life."

Goodarzi states the results of the survey begin a long path to solve the problem of radon induced lung cancer. Between 300 and 350 non-smoking Albertans are diagnosed with lung cancer each year.

"What we now need to do is to understand the environmental, psychological, and economic risk factors and what contributes to people testing and mitigating. We also need to understand a biology which is to say when someone goes into their GPs office and says I have been exposed to high quantities of radon am I going to get lung cancer? Unfortunately right now, we can't tell you yes, no, or maybe with any certainty."

Continued research needs to look at how radon is affecting DNA and lung cells as well as who is at risk.

Dr. Goodarzi says the initial study is still open and looking for active participants. Next step is to test two large study groups in Alberta and BC where healthy Canadians provide DNA samples and health records for research to understand how they have been exposed to radon.

"By doing that we will have access to samples through which we will then be able to develop the signature for radon induced lung cancer risk and through understanding that, develop a strategy to eliminate this as a source of cancer for future Canadians."

You can find out more about getting involved with the study here.

 

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