Radon Can Be in Almost Any Building. The Only Way to Know is to Test.

You cannot see it, smell it, or taste it. Yet long-term exposure to radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who do not smoke. Most people have heard of radon, but many do not know what it actually is or how it gets inside a building. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas formed when uranium in soil and rock breaks down. It can move through the ground and enter homes, workplaces, schools, and other buildings through cracks in foundations, construction joints and openings around pipes and drains.

Once inside, radon can accumulate to levels that can be dangerous to human health. Health Canada recommends action when radon levels exceed its guideline of 200 Bq/m³. Health Canada estimates radon is linked to more than 3,000 lung cancer deaths in Canada each year. The risk increases with the concentration of radon and the length of exposure.

What makes radon particularly difficult is that there are no obvious warning signs. A building can look perfectly normal and still have elevated radon levels. Results can also vary significantly between buildings. Even a building designed with radon in mind still needs to be tested once it is finished and in use.

Putting Radon Protection to the Test

A new school project in Alberta's Peace Region shows why testing matters once a building is occupied. ParklandGEO was retained by Start Architecture for radon related engineering services on the project. During design, our team completed the roughed in radon mitigation system design. This meant the components needed to convert the system to an active system, if required, were incorporated during construction. ParklandGEO then confirmed that the system was installed correctly and in accordance with the design. Once the finished building was occupied, there was still one important question to answer: were the radon levels inside below Health Canada's guideline?

ParklandGEO professionals placed 32 alpha track detectors throughout the main floor of the building. Both team members who completed the testing were certified through the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP).

Each detector is a small, vented container. Radon enters it and, as it decays, leaves microscopic tracks on a special material inside. Those tracks can then be analyzed to determine the radon concentration. The detectors remained in place for long-term testing.

Why Long-Term Testing Matters

Radon levels can change over time. Schools add another consideration because they are occupied differently throughout the day and year. Heating and ventilation systems can also operate differently during school hours, overnight, on weekends, and during breaks.

Long term testing accounts for those variations in a way a single reading taken at one point in time cannot.

The Results

Every result from the Peace Region project was below Health Canada's guideline of 200 Bq/m³. Based on the testing results, ParklandGEO concluded that radon mitigation was not recommended at that time. If mitigation had been required, ParklandGEO could have provided recommendations to convert the roughed in radon mitigation system to an active system.

What About Your Building?

This project was a school, but radon is not only a school issue. It can be present in homes, offices, workplaces, commercial buildings, and public facilities. A newer building is not automatically exempt, and a low result from another building does not tell you what is happening inside yours.

Has your building ever been tested for radon?

ParklandGEO professionals certified through the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program support radon testing, system design and mitigation across Western Canada.

Contact ParklandGEO to discuss testing your building or planning for radon in an upcoming project.