Limited supply of radon test kits available online this year
Homeowners in the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) area are encouraged to test their homes for radon. According to KFL&A Public Health, a high percentage of homes in the area are affected with high radon levels.
From Sunday, Nov. 1 to Monday, Nov. 30, KFL&A Public Health will be selling a limited supply of certified radon tests for $25. This year, due to COVID-19 precautions, Public Health says radon tests will only be available for purchase online at kflaph.ca/radon.
According to a release from KFL&A Public Health dated Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, tests will be shipped directly to the purchaser at the beginning of December. Homeowners can return the test three months later to a drop box at any KFL&A Public Health office location to have it sent to the lab for analysis. The lab will send all homeowners a report outlining their home’s radon level.
“Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that comes from the breakdown of uranium in rocks and soils. You can’t see, taste, or smell radon. It can enter buildings through cracks in foundation floors and walls, gaps in pipes, open floor drains, or any other area of exposed soil,” KFL&A Public Health said in today’s press release. “In confined spaces like a home, radon can build up to high levels becoming a health risk. The likelihood of high radon cannot be predicted by the age or location of a home; all homes are at risk.”
The local Health Unit said that breathing in high levels of radon for many years can lead to lung cancer. In Canada, radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoke.
“The only way to know the radon level in your home is to test for it,” said Jenn Fagan, Communication Specialist at KFL&A Public Health. “Radon testing is simple and inexpensive. Allow the test to measure radon levels during the winter months for a minimum of 91 days.”
To learn more about radon, including potential health risks and how to lower radon levels in your home, visit kflaph.ca/radon.