Residents encouraged to test their homes for radon this winter

The City of Kimberley would like city residents to be radon aware and test their homes for radon gas this winter.

Radon gas is the leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and estimated to kill as many as 3,300 people each year in Canada. Radon is radioactive and comes from the decay of uranium in rock and soil. You can’t see, smell or taste radon, leading many people to do nothing at all. The only way to know if a home has high indoor radon levels is to test.

“Radon is a serious public health risk, but the first step to preventing illness from radon exposure is easy – all you need to do is perform a simple, and low cost test,” says Britt Swoveland, Program Manager for RadonAware. “We want every homeowner and resident to test – to be safe, and we’re excited to partner with Kimberley to encourage residents to take action.”

Radon can be found everywhere across B.C. and Canada, but there are certain ‘hot-spots’ where radon levels can pose an increased risk. Kimberley is considered to be in a region of the province where indoor radon levels may be elevated.

“Mayor and council are pleased to be supporting public awareness of radon and we hope people will take a few minutes of their time to purchase a testing kit and test their home this winter. It just makes sense to do this, especially knowing that radon levels in our community could be elevated,” said Troy Pollock, city manager of Planning Services.

The best time to test for radon is in the winter months when windows and doors are closed. Test kits can be purchased for $29.99 plus shipping from radonaware.ca. The test kit cost includes the lab analysis fee. The test will take a minimum of 91 days to complete.

RadonAware is a branded public education and advocacy program established by the BC Lung Association. The program is focused on providing research, information, education and public advocacy on issues related to reducing the public health risk from radon.

City of Kimberley

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