New study suggests radon exposure on the rise in Canadian homes

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

This year’s study of radon exposure in residential buildings has shown that radioactive radon exposure in Canada is rising and continues to be a critical public health concern.

The study estimates that 10.3 million Canadians are living in houses with high radon, increasing their risk of developing lung cancer in the future, with roughly 18 per cent of residences containing radon levels at or above 200 Bq/m³, the threshold at which Health Canada advises action.

This is more than double the number of homes containing this level in 2012, which was only seven per cent.

“In the 12 years since we released the first Cross Canada Radon Report, evidence has continued to emerge showing that the number of high-radon homes has been increasing,” said Pawel Mekarski, PhD, Health Canada’s National Radon Program. “The 2024 survey represents a more up-to-date snapshot of radon levels across the country, highlighting the importance of protecting Canadians from residential radon exposure.”

Findings revealed that single-family homes were more likely to have high levels of radon compared to row-style housing. Only limited data was available for apartment buildings, but information suggests these residences may possibly be at risk as well.

Residential buildings of any type in rural Canadian communities, in this study meaning population centres of 1-29,999 people, generally demonstrated a greater likelihood of having high radon levels relative to urban equivalents.

“The new Cross Canada Radon Survey provides a greater understanding of how people living in Canada in the 2020s are being exposed to radon across our diverse communities, houses and regions,” said Aaron Goodarzi, PhD, researcher and professor at the University of Calgary. “Alarmingly, this report concludes that Canadians are among the most highly radon-exposed people on Earth, and that means we urgently need to address this to avoid a future of prevalent but otherwise avoidable lung cancers.”

Levels of radon in houses can vary depending on factors such as geology, when a building was constructed and ventilation, but no area of Canada was found to be free of high radon exposure risk, and all Canadians are urged to test their homes, as radon exposure is the leading cause of lung cancer for people with limited or no smoking history.

The full report can be found at crosscanadaradon.ca.