The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation created an interactive map showing radon gas concentrations across Canada, using data from a two-year study published by Health Canada in 2012. The map is posted on the network’s website at Cbc.ca. It can be searched by address or region and uses a color code to show the results of radon tests in Canadian homes. While the map indicates potential exposure, the only way to determine radon levels in a home is to perform a test.
Health Canada conducted an estimated 14,000 three-month radon tests in homes across Canada, in urban and rural regions. The tests were conducted during the fall and winter months, when windows and doors are closed and radon levels are typically higher. The survey found close to 7 percent of Canadian homes have radon gas levels above the federal government’s guideline of 200 bequerels per cubic meter.
Radon is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that is produced naturally by decaying uranium in rocks and soil. Outdoor levels of radon are too low to pose a health risk, but once the radioactive gas enters an enclosed space, usually through cracks in the foundation, concentrations can become dangerous. As of 2012, an estimated 16 percent of lung cancer deaths in Canada are linked to prolonged exposure to radon gas.