Officials with the Heartland Health Region public inspection program are asking homeowners in Davidson, Kenaston and area to contact them about conducting radon gas testing on their homes in an effort to reduce the carcinogen that is found in basements throughout the region.

Vanessa Amy, public health officer with Heartland Health, said high levels of radon gas has been detected in particular areas of the region, but it is unknown how elevated levels of the radioactive gas is around Davidson and Kenaston because no testing has been done. She said radon gas is formed through decaying uranium and seeps through the soil into basements and because it is a carcinogen causes lung cancer when people are exposed long-term to it when it builds up during the winter.

“Radon gas is heavier than air, so it will collect in the basement,” said Amy. “It doesn’t go up and fill up your whole house, but in the wintertime when you run your furnace the furnace draws air from the basement and hot air rises out the chimney. You create negative pressure in your basement, so that air pressure in the soil surrounding your house is going to be higher than in your basement (and) that radon gas is drawn from the soil into your basement. It doesn’t occur very much during the summer months when you’re not running your furnace, (but) we can see levels of radon building up in your basement during the winter heating months.”

Amy said the amount of radon gas collecting in a basement has nothing to do with the age of a home, but it does have to do with the type of soil surrounding a basement and the condition the basement is in. She said a wood framed basement or a cracked concrete basement surrounded by heavy clay soil would draw more radon gas into it than a sound concrete block basement, but it is impossible to predict how much radon is in a home without it being tested.

“Heartland is actually offering free radon tests to homeowners in the health region, so people can contact me,” she said noting she can be reached at 306-882-2672 ext. 2288 or by email at public.health@hrha.sk.ca. “We’ve arranged for testing to be provided to people in the area because we know that it’s been a concern.”

To read more please see the January 20 print edition of The Davidson Leader.