FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CA For questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]An invisible radioactive gas, arising from the breakdown of solid radium in soil 1. What is radon? Although radon occurs naturally, it normally dilutes to essentially ‘nothing’ in outside air. However, it can accumulate in an unnatural way within our homes, reaching dangerous levels. A RELIABLE source of information on this is Carcinogen Exposure (CAREX) Canada https://www.carexcanada.ca/en/radon/
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FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
An invisible radioactive gas, arising from the breakdown of solid radium in soil
1. What is radon?
Although radon occurs naturally, it normally dilutes to essentially ‘nothing’ in outside air.
However, it can accumulate in an unnatural way within our homes, reaching dangerous levels.
A RELIABLE source of information on this is Carcinogen Exposure (CAREX) Canada https://www.carexcanada.ca/en/radon/
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
2. Why is radon dangerous?
Radon is unstable, and within less than 4 days, half of it will emits a type of radiation called ALPHA PARTICLE radiation.
Alpha particles move at ½ the speed of light, and pack enough energy to dent bullet proof plastic. Imagine what that does to our bodies, especially our DNA.
Once radon emits an alpha particle, it precipitates as a solid metal in the air we breathe or inside our bodies.
These precipitates are ‘radon progeny’, and are STILL RADIOACTIVE. This means that even when we leave a high radon environment, the RADON PROGENY remain inside us emitting alpha particles, potentially for decades after exposure.
RADON PROGENY
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
3. What does this do to our bodies?
Undamaged DNA Irradiated DNA
DNA is broken, and literally falling to
bits. Unless repaired, the cell will die.
Alpha Particle Radiation damages DNA
Our bodies are always trying
to heal damage to DNA, but
these healing mechanisms
sometimes “get it wrong” a small percent of the time.
When this happens, errors
occur and our DNA is
MUTATED.
Increased DNA damage
elevates the chances of
genetic mutations that may
drive a cell towards becoming
a cancer.
RADON = DNA DAMAGE = GENETIC MUTATION = CANCER
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
4. Why should I care?
Radon is the single biggest
source of lifetime ionizing radiation
exposure
• Being in Group 1 means that RADON IS ABSOLUTELY KNOWN TO CAUSE LUNG CANCER in humans and animals (even your pets). Lung cancers are the hardest to treat.
• In Canada, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. In Alberta alone, 1 person EACH DAY is diagnosed with radon-induced lung cancer.
Radon is a Group 1
cancer-causing agent,
alongside mustard
gas, tobacco, benzene
and asbestos.
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FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
5. Is radon high where I live?
The Canadian Prairies contains some of the most radon-generating soils on Earth.
Radon is measured in Bq/m3. Anything over 100 Bq/m3 is linked to elevated risk of lung cancer. 50% of Alberta homes exceed 100 Bq/m3.
Health Canada indicates that 200 Bq/m3 radon should be considered maximum exposure limit, at or above which action should be taken with increasing urgency to reduce risk.
1 in 8 Calgary area homes exceeded 200 Bq/m3 in a survey of 2,385 homes between 2013-2016.
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
6. What do radon units / exposures mean?
1 Bq/m3 of radon actually represents 1 alpha particle being emitted every second (by decaying radon) for a given volume (a metre cubed) of air.
With a few science tricks, you can “see” these alpha particle emissions. If you counted each one for a set amount of seconds, you could calculate the Bq. Using those tricks, this picture shows a piece of solid radium-containing mineral emitting alpha particles.
For health, however, radiation is measured in Sieverts (Sv)
• A dental x-ray = 0.01 milliSieverts (mSv)
• A chest x-ray = 0.1 mSv
• A CT scan = 10 mSv
• Average exposure / year for nuclear worker = 20 mSv
• Chernobyl evacuation zone during the accident = 350 mSv
• Vomiting, hair loss and sickness = 700 mSv
• Severe sickness, cancer definite = 1000 mSv
• Certain Death = Anything over 2000 mSv given all at once.
PLEASE NOTE: These health consequences are for radiation exposures all received “at once” in a single dose.
Unlike the exposures mentioned above, where the radiation is delivered very quickly, radon exposure tends to happen over a long period.
This is what we call “CHRONIC EXPOSURE” and, while this is not going to produce radiation sickness (vomiting, etc.), it is very effective at triggering cancer.
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
7. What radiation exposure doses are linked to radon?• 100 Bq/m3 of chronic radon exposure is where scientists across
the world have all seen and agreed there is a significant increased lung cancer risk.
• If some inhales 100 Bq/m3 of radon every day for a year, it’s about the same as 5 mSv of alpha particle radiation exposure spread out over the whole year.
Let’s say you live 10 years in a home with the following radon amounts, what are the radiation exposures?
• 100 Bq/m3 = 5 mSv /yr x 10 years = 50 mSv
• 200 Bq/m3 = 10 mSv /yr x 10 years = 100 mSv
• 400 Bq/m3 = 20 mSv /yr x 10 years = 200 mSv
• 800 Bq/m3 = 40 mSv /yr x 10 years = 400 mSv
• 1600 Bq/m3 = 80 mSv /yr x 10 years = 800 mSv
• 3200 Bq/m3 = 160 mSv /yr x 10 years = 1600 mSv
IMPORTANT POINT #2. These are NOT THEORETICAL DOSES, cancer researchers at the University of Calgary have seen homes with this much (and higher!) in Alberta. The record right now is 7,200 Bq/m3.
IMPORTANT POINT #3. People ARE getting sick and dying from this - at least one Alberta PER DAY is being diagnosed with lung cancer, which is typically lethal within 1-5 years from diagnosis.
IMPORTANT POINT #1. These doses are spread out over time, not delivered all at once. Because of that, we won’t get radiation sickness (hair loss, vomiting) from this, but we very likely could get CANCER.
A person in a 3,200 Bq/m3 house is receiving the equivalent of >16,000 dental x-rays worth of radiation each year they are in that home!!!
Dental
X-ray Chest
X-ray
One whole
Body CT
scan
Evict Radon has
seen quite a
few of these
(or worse) in
Alberta
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
8. What is a radon test?
• These devices require no electricity are easy to use. They are also generally ‘immune’ to heat, static, light and other vapours. There are other types of radon test technologies, and many are also fine.
• However, Health Canada strongly advises against using charcoal-based radon devices (often used in the USA) as these are easily invalidated or contrived due their sensitivity to heat and light.
ABOVE: The little black dots (right) are actually the dents made by the alpha particles moving at half light speed, denting the bullet proof plastic square (left)
• In Canada, one of the best and most reliable (and tamper-proof!) radon test devices is call an “ALPHA TRACK DETECTOR”.
• These devices work very simply, containing a small piece of CR-39 bullet proof plastic that register the ‘dents’ made by alpha particles being emitted by radon.
• With special technology, these can very accurately monitor the amount of radon in an environment.
• For best results, these tests should be done for 90+ days.
FIGURES SUPPLIED BY RESEARCHERS AT EVICTRADON.CAFor questions about radon answered by non-profit scientists, contact [email protected]
Customer Name
Full Address of the customer
who bought the test Customer Name
Full Address
Customer Name
Full Address
where the test
was performed
[Name of person who returned the test device]
9. What is a CERTIFIED radon test?
In Canada, only individuals with C-NRPP certification have the training required to provide quality controlled radon testing. This certification stands for:
• Canadian• National• Radon• Proficiency• Program
Look for this symbol,
together with
a C-NRPP
certification number.
Confirm that any C-NRPP professional you work with are listed (and
their certification is up to date and valid) at: https://c-nrpp.ca/
The C-NRPP certified
person or company is
listed here.
Here is the
radon RESULT
Important details about
WHEN AND WHERE
tests were performed
and received.
SIGNED by an
accredited
professional
This is an example of a radon report from an accredited lab. The C-NRPP professionals will usually need to send the devices to labs to have them ‘read’
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