While it was estimated that one in ten houses had a radon gas concentration above the threshold established by Health Canada of 200 Bq/m3, this statistic has now risen to nearly one in five houses, or 20% of homes in Quebec according to new data released by the Association pulmonaire du Québec (Journal de Montréal 2021).
Explosion of radon tests in Quebec
Since 2020, the Quebec lung association has noticed a marked increase in its sales of radon tests in Quebec, nearly double the price of 2019. The 19,560 tests sold in 2020-2021 have made it possible to find a worrying quantity of homes with a concentration of radon dangerous for health.
Although exposure to radon is an unrecognized plague on lung health, awareness efforts have been increasing since the start of the pandemic for obvious reasons. The Director of the Quebec Lung Association, Dominique Massie, noted in an interview with the Journal de Montreal, that the increase in radon tests could be linked to the heightened level of concern of individuals since the start of the pandemic (Journal de Montréal 2021).
Although exposure to radon gas is an unrecognized issue on lung health, awareness efforts have been increasing since the start of the pandemic for obvious reasons. The Director of the Association pulmonaire du Québec, Dominique Massie, believes that the increase in radon tests is linked to the increased level of concern of individuals since the start of the pandemic (Journal de Montréal 2021). Indeed, the pandemic will have forced many to set up their teleworking office in the basement or the study room of their child, without counting others to stop forced labor
A Sample of Tested Houses Still Too Small
“These results underscore the importance of increased screening at the community level. Radon levels differ from region to region, which is why it is so important for communities to encourage their citizens to conduct their own radon tests,” said Erin Curry, regional director of the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists.
While the increase in home testing is good news, the rising proportion of homes that have radon levels above the 200 Bq/m3 threshold is worrying. “I am convinced that the numbers will rise further,” said Ms. Massie.
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