RADON GAS-HOME INSPECTION OTTAWA
Under Construction
Ottawa area Home Inspectors now providing a Radon Gas Testing Service for Ottawa, Kanata, Orleans, & Wakefield areas.
"The Surgeon General's Other Warning"
World's 2nd leading cause of lung cancer.
Cause of 15% of lung cancer worldwide.
Odorless and tasteless gas.
Caused by the decay of soil and water.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless radioactive gas and can be found at home, work, or your child's school - virtually anywhere in all Provinces & Territories! It can harm those most dear to you without any signs at all
RADON GAS-THE SILENT KILLER !!!
Radon (Rn) is an inert, radioactive gas formed by the decay of radium which exists naturally in soil, rock and ground water. It is found in most soils, rocks and mineral deposits, especially in areas where there are uranium and phosphate deposits. It decays in days and changes to four short-lived radon progeny. Radon progeny are solids that often physically or chemically attach themselves to particulates. When inhaled, they are deposited along the respiratory tract.
Health Effects
The decay of progeny by alpha emission damages living tissue. Most lung concerns which are not causes by tobacco smoke (10% to 20%) are attributed to Radon progeny.
Sources
The primary source of radon is the infiltration of radon-laden soil gas into the building through cracks or other faults in the building's substructure. The pressure difference (depressurization) causing this infiltration may result from stack and wind effects, improper combustion appliance venting or exhaust ventilation systems. Radon can come from building materials, such as concrete aggregate, granite counter top, stone fireplace, and gypsum board, or from water released into the air by heating, agitation or aeration. Source strength can vary widely from one home to another in the same area..
Detection
Radon gas is a serious carcinogen that has been found in homes throughout Canada. It originates from the natural decay of small amounts of uranium in soil and rock. It is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking. Increasing numbers of Canadian homeowners are having their houses tested for radon gas. Radon is a serious health issue in schools also. Radon gas levels in Ottawa, Orleans & particularly in Kanata have areas where radon is a known problem and the only way to know for sure that your home is safe from radon gas is to have it properly tested to make sure that it is below the current min radon level recommended by Health Canada which is still 30% higher than the EPA accepted safe radon level for indoor air quality in the United States.
Being colourless, odorless and tasteless, testing for radon gas is the only way that a homeowner can know if there is a radon gas problem. Houses being listed for sale in the United States currently need a radon test to show that the house is safe to live in. Home buyers should request radon test results. New homes need to be tested to verify that radon reduction techniques "mitigation" have been successful and that the house is safe for occupancy.
Contact a NEHA-NRPP "National Environmental Health Association" certified radon testing specialist today, to have an assessment done on your home if you suspect that radon could be a health issue with your family. Thank you for visiting and please feel free to copy and past this link in your email and send to all your family and friends so that they too can know the hidden dangers of radon gas.
We welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have on improving this webpage; Email: Barrhaven Home Inspectors
BUYER BEWARE: Have your home tested for radon gas by a certified professional. You can get cheap "do it yourself" Charcoal radon test kits online or through retail outlets. These test kits are known to be very inaccure in high winds or heavy rain and if you get a false reading, you may end up spending thousands of dollars for radon mitigation where there is not a radon problem or there may be a radon problem that your test doesn't catch, for a variety of reasons. Is your family's health worth more to you, than the price of a piece of charcoal ?
WARNING!!!
There are several individuals selling electronic radon detectors in the Ottawa area which they are stating as being "approved" or "certified" by the EPA. These are false statements and these units are NOT approved by any radon gas or health association. This includes the EPA, NEHA, AARST and Health Canada.
These devices are known as "Safety Siren Pro Series 3" and are not recognized by Health Canada as approved Radon Gas testing devices. Although these devices may tell you if radon is present in your home or not, they are not very accurate and you will still need a proper Radon Test done by a NEHA/NRPP certified professional to determine if you really do need expensive radon mitigation.
Be aware of individuals selling these instruments. Question them if they are certified through NEHA-NRPP or Health Canada
We are currently offering a single short term radon test of your Ottawa area home for the discounted price of only $50.00 when booked to be tested during the home inspection or $125.00 for a 31 day short term Radon gas test or $199.00 for a six month long-term radon test. Multi testing location discounts are available for larger buildings.
For further information and consulting or to schedule a radon test for your home, office, business or school please contact:
Neil Card
Barrhaven Home Inspectors Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario
(613) 823-8844
"American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists"
"National Environmental Health Association Certified"
"ESA Trained & Certified Radon Gas Tester"
"IAC2 Certified Radon Inspector"
Neil Card has also a graduate of the NEHA-NRPP "National Environmental Health Association" course for radon testing and is a current certified member of NEHA-NRPP, which is North America's highest level of achievement for radon testing that is also currently recognized by Health Canada as being a qualified Radon Gas Testing specialist.
Barrhaven Home Inspectors, Ottawa only uses the E-Perm system from Rad Elec Inc., which is the preferred and most accurate radon testing system available, and is recommended by the Quebec Lung Association. The minimum time frame required for a radon test is 48 hrs. Printed report available at completion of test. This means no extended waiting time for test results from a lab like other radon testing methods.
The American Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists Press Release
ATTENTION; WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION LAUNCHES NEW ATTACK ON LUNG CANCER
ST. LOUIS (9/21/2009) - In simultaneous releases published around the globe today, the World Health Organization (WHO) called for stronger action against indoor radon, the leading cause of lung cancer among U.S. and Canadian non-smokers.
The central WHO recommendation is to lower radon gas levels by one-third below the current U.S. guidance. The lower WHO action level doubles the number of U.S. homes needing radon control systems from 8 million to 15 million.
According to Bill Angell, President of the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (AARST), "The WHO recommendations more strongly emphasize the importance of radon testing by all home owners and home buyers and reduction of high concentrations of the radioactive gas."
Speaking from the 2009 International Radon Symposium, Angell adds, "The World Health Organization's strong stand is based upon new evidence of the risk posed by toxic radon." The new WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective lists the consensus of scientists from more than 30 countries that radon in homes is responsible for about one of every seven lung cancer deaths in countries such as the U.S.
Over 21,000 Americans die each year from radon induced lung cancer.
In the handbook, WHO recommends a threshold of action of 2.7 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), or 100 becquerels per cubic metre of air (Bq/m3) a measure of radioactivity. Health Canada's recommended safe radon level is currently at 200 Bq/m3, which is double the amount of safe radon gas exposure that is recommended by the WHO "World Health Organization"
The new threshold contrasts with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) level of 4 pCi/L or 148 Bq/m3; an action level that has been in place for 40 years.
In addition to testing, the WHO handbook notes that indoor radon is the result of the way we design and build homes. Thus, WHO places clear responsibility for radon exposure on architects, builders, and real estate professionals and urges radon control system in new homes and testing homes for sale.
Elevated indoor radon may be inexpensively fixed or prevented through radon control systems installed by certified or licensed radon professionals.
For more information:
WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon: A Public Health Perspective http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index1.html
WHO Radon Webpage http://www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/index.html
American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists http://www.aarst.org
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/radon/
The following Radon Gas links from Health Canada, Vancouver Sun, CBC and YouTube are a further source of radon information for Canadians.
Check back often: Updates will be posted as they become available...................
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Ottawa area Home Inspectors in Ottawa, Ontario
Radon Gas Testing Ottawa, Kanata, Barrhaven, & Orleans
Radon Gas Testers Ottawa
Source : Natural Resources Canada
