FVRD lobbies the BC Government for Radon Mitigation Funding. Article by Mike Vanden Bosch (Fraser Valley Today)

CHILLIWACK — “Following the release of radon test analyses that showed elevated levels of radon in Electoral Area H (Cultus Lake and Lindell) and Hope, Fraser Valley Regional District staff support an effort to buy 200 radon kits and lobby the BC government for funding to help residents with radon mitigation systems in their homes.

According to a FVRD staff report prepared by environmental services coordinator Elias Ross, radon is a colourless, odourless gas that is linked to the deaths of more than 3,000 Canadians each year. Radon is reported to be the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. Radon gets naturally released into the environment from decaying radioactive materials in the earth.”

Read Full Article By Mike Vanden Bosch (Fraser Valley Today)

Radon Mitigation for Builders

 Radon Mitigation System in Home Building

Every house contains some radon. Moreover, radon concentrations vary geographically and change at different times of the year.

Radon is present in every indoor environment, so it’s vital that homeowners must have their homes tested. Because long-term exposure to radon gas is harmful and can even lead to lung cancer.

Check out the Radon Potential Map of Canada Any home can have dangerous radon levels, regardless of geography.

How Does Radon Get into Home

Radon can seep into a home through soil, windows, cracks in foundation walls and floors, loose pipes fittings and support posts, floor drains and sump pumps, wall, floor joists, and even through your water facets! Concrete is porous, and radon is a gas. Therefore, that means it can penetrate through even the tiniest holes in a house.

Radon Mitigation System for Builders

There are three levels of radon reduction systems that builders can install into new construction.

• Level 1 is a Rough-In for Active Soil Depressurization for Radon Reduction

• Level 2- Full Passive Vertical Radon Stack

• Level 3- Full Active Soil Depressurization

Level 1 radon - reduction system

Level 1 is a Rough-In for Active Soil Depressurization for Radon Reduction. A radon-reduction system's entrance point for radon and other soil gasses is a pipe that extends into a soil gas collector (typically gravel) beneath the foundation floor. The pipe finally comes to an end and is covered just above the slab.

This system is merely a rough-in, and if radon mitigation is needed, a fan system can be added. In order to reduce radon ingress, a membrane has also been placed beneath the concrete slab and is sealed to the foundation wall. The majority of provinces and territories have followed this strategy, according to CARST.

Also, it is essential to caulk any foundation cracks and joints as well as the areas near the sump pit, floor drains, and other pipes.

Level 2 - Full Passive Vertical Radon Stack

Level 2 is an extension of Level 1, where the pipe from Level 1 is extended up through space vertically and out through a wall to terminate outdoors. Provisions must be taken to ensure the pipe is properly sealed to ensure re-entrainment of radon does not occur. The system relies on naturally occurring pressure differentials generated by the stack effect to mitigate radon. This level is now being used in the BC building code.

Level 3- Full Active Soil Depressurization

System Level 3 uses the pipe from Level 2 and also includes a low wattage radon fan. The system relies on the radon fan to induce a pressure difference to exhaust soil gasses and radon from under the slab. Radon fans run continuously, and a system pressure monitor is installed for the monitoring of the system. This method has been shown to be highly effective at reducing radon concentrations in a building.

Many different products are available that can be used in the installation process of a radon reduction system. Radon Guard and Radon Block are the best choices to prevent radon from the beginning.

Radon Mitigation System - RADON GUARD™

Radon Guard® Insulation is a key component of any radon mitigation system. This code compliant replacement for code required 100mm layer of granular material under slab, is a 2 in 1 system that both insulates and protects interior spaces from radon gas for generations.

Radon Mitigation System - RADON BLOCK™

Radon Block® is the leading high performance radon blocking barrier membrane. It resists gas and moisture migration into the building envelope, providing superior protection from toxic and harmful chemicals. Evaluated as a code alternative solution CCMC 14024-R.

Contact us to discuss your radon mitigation options. With the proper radon mitigation system, radon levels can be reduced by more than 80% .

How Radon Block and Radon Guard work in an Active Soil Depressurization method

Radon Mitigation for Your Home

All about Radon and Radon Mitigation System for Homeowners

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas created from the decay of uranium minerals present in rock, soil and water. You cannot see, taste or smell radon. Outdoors there is little danger as radon is diluted in the open air. Indoors, radon can be trapped and become concentrated in enclosed poorly ventilated spaces resulting in a significant increased health risk.

Radon is the leading environmental cause of lung cancer and the second-leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. Radon-induced lung cancer is preventable, Health Canada’s take action guideline is 200bq/m3. If your home tests above this take action guideline, a mitigation system should be installed.

Check out the Radon Potential Map of Canada.

What is Radon Mitigation?

RADON MITIGATION is the process used to reduce radon gas concentrations in the home or in a building.

What is a Radon Test?

The radon test is a test to identify the level of radon in your home. A radon test can be done by a professional home inspector or by yourself using a radon test kit or the radon tester. Testing radon can be a DIY project. Besides, there is also radon testing equipment for inspectors.

A radon test identifies the radon level in your home so you can make an informed decision and take action if necessary. You can purchase a long-term radon detector and test yourself or hire a certified radon professional to test for you.

Do I need to test for radon?

All homes have some amount of radon, the question is how much. Since you cannot see, taste or smell radon, scientific testing is needed for detection. Testing for radon is an important part of assessing your Indoor Air Quality and should be taken seriously to protect the health of everyone who enters your home. High levels of radon can lead to a significant risk of lung cancer.

Radon Mitigation in Well Water

Some radon stays in the water, drinking water containing radon also presents a risk of developing internal organ cancers, primarily stomach cancer. Radon is only a concern in your water if your drinking water comes from a well (groundwater). Water from wells can have high radon concentrations because radon is relatively insoluble in water.

Water use releases radon into the indoor air and contributes to the total indoor airborne radon concentrations. Radon can be off gassed in the shower, kitchen sink and through the laundry. Radon can be removed from our water using an aeration system, this can significantly reduce the level of radon in your water. The Airwell radon system lowers radon levels in well water up to 99%.

AIRWELL™

Solve the problem of radon in well water before water enters the home. Radon reductions up to 99%.

How does radon gas enter your home

1 . Soil 

2. Windows 

3. Cracks in walls & floors 

4. Loose pipe fittings & support posts 

5. Floor drains & sump pumps 

6. Wall & floor joints 

7. Ground water

Article - More than half the state’s groundwater has a 50% or higher probability of radon levels above what’s considered safe.

A new study lead by the U.S Geological Survey using public data to map the presence of radon and uranium in New Hampshire has concluded approximately half the areas groundwater likely has radon levels considered to be unsafe.

Full Article , Jeongyoon Han, nhpr.org

Back To Vegas For IBS

January 5, 2023 - Connect with us at IBS! Our team will be making a short stop in Vegas at the end of January for the NAHB International Builders' Show®. We will be showcasing the Airwell™ by Radon Environmental, with radon reductions up to 99%, this innovative technology mitigates radon in well water before it enters the home.

Stop by to meet our team and see the aeration system in action at booth SU1555!

Radon Environmental & CR3 Partner To Raise Radon Awareness Through Animal Wellness

January 3, 2023 - The Bark Side of Radon, presented by Radon Environmental (REM), is a Canadian public awareness campaign promoting home-owner radon testing through pet health. Medical conditions that veterinarians see in animals are like those doctors see in patients, but the diseases often develop earlier in animals.

"The Company is pleased to announce that it is joining forces with Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3), in the United States, to expand the campaign to protect all our loved ones, from exposure to cancer causing radon gas, across North America" said Alan Whitehead, President & CEO of REM.

"Your pets are at the lowest level near the ground. Because of their silence, we can be less aware of their suffering until it's too late." says, Jackie Nixon, Cancer Survivor. "We found that the general public truly cares about their pets and really want the best for them. Talking to them about how radon affects animals and how they can protect their pets, really gets their attention and increases their willingness to consider testing for radon."

The oncologist said, “radon is a known cause of lung cancer”. When my husband, Joe, was diagnosed with lung cancer. A radon test revealed we had been living with over 4 times the EPA action level of this demon for 18 years and didn’t know it. We, like millions of others, didn’t know that radon exposure could cause lung cancer; and we didn’t know this silent killer was living with us." says Gloria Linnertz, CR3 President.

About REM

Radon Environmental is a building and environmental health sciences company focused on reducing public exposure to radon gas. REM provides innovative high-performance radon detection and mitigation solutions to treat radon in air and water. The company consults on radon education, mapping, testing and mitigation planning, with government organizations and the building and construction sector across North America. A strength of the company is its emphasis on strategic development to build strong partner and customer relationships.

Contact Radon Environmental:

Emma Whitehead , Customer Relations & Communications Manager

Email: ewhitehead@radoncorp.com 

 About CR3

Citizens for Radioactive Radon Reduction (CR3) promotes radon reduction to communities through education and awareness. By helping them to understand the risks of not testing and the effects of long-term exposure, CR3 broadens radon knowledge and the willingness of community members to test their properties for radon gas.

Contact CR3:

Jacquelyn E. Nixon, Director of Marketing & Communications

Email: jackie@citizens4radonreduction.org

citizensforradioactiveradonreduction.org

August 1st is World Lung Cancer Day

Today is World Lung Cancer Day. Lung Cancer claims more lives worldwide than breast, prostate and colon cancer combined. Radon induced lung cancer is real and preventable. Like most people, Janet thought only people who smoked got lung cancer. But that’s not the case. Watch her story.

Rachael Malmberg was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer at age 31. The former national-level U.S. hockey player had never smoked and had lived a perfectly healthy life. Since her diagnosis, Malmberg has become an advocate for radon testing. Read more about Rachel's story.

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). Health Canada recently increased its estimate of radon induced lung cancer deaths to approximately 16% of all lung cancers or approximately 3,200 Canadians that die annually from radon exposure.

Health Canada's policy is that all Canadian homes should be tested for radon and mitigated if above the action guideline. Interestingly, many people do not choose to mitigate after finding their dwellings have elevated radon levels. Mitigation need not be difficult or costly.

The only way to know how much radon may be present in your indoor air is to test for it. You can order a radon test online to test your home - it’s easy and inexpensive!

Welcome to our new website!

We are happy to announce Radon Environmental now has a brand new website!

Look at what’s new!

• book a workshop

• learn about products in action in case studies

• watch Director of Sales, David Innes, install an Airwell with Mike Holmes Jr.

• order a product at the Testing Shop

We’re streamlining to bring you a better customer experience!

We have a new online reporting system, My Pages, directly tied to the laboratory, Radonova. Radonova, an accredited ISO-17025 and C-NRPP laboratory analyzes your completed test and provides your certified radon report.

We’d love to hear your feedback - send us a note and let us know what you think!