Radon in Alberta: the 2012 survey, not the whole province as one house

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Radon in Alberta the 2012 survey, not the whole province as one house

· 1 min· Gaz Radon

Alberta’s weighted figure is 5.7%, the raw figure 6.6%. Calgary: 8.1% of 86 homes. The Capital Health region, which covered Edmonton: 1.4% of 73 homes. Those are small samples. The north (Northern Lights) fell to 0.7% of 144 homes.

Very tight new houses in Calgary or Edmonton can hold the little radon that enters. A code rough-in is not a measurement. The 91-day test during the heating season is still the comparison with 200 Bq/m³.

What the percentage does not measure

The survey describes homes recruited in a health region, not yours. The slab, the footing drain, the cracks and how many hours the house stays closed change the result from one address to the next. The number that counts is the lowest lived-in level, during the heating season.

If the report is above 200

In this survey, Health Canada recommended acting within two years between 200 and 600 Bq/m³, and within a year above 600. What happens next is described in a result above 200. Saskatchewan new homes

Source: Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes, long-term measurements in fall and winter 2009–2011, 2012 report. A health-region percentage does not apply to one address.

The 4-day test gives a first reading. The 91-day test covers the three-month minimum Health Canada asks for. Both are $59 before tax: shipping, return and the laboratory are included, taxes extra. The PDF report is sent within 2 business days after the laboratory receives the detector.

Above 200 Bq/m³, mitigation is confirmed with a quote. Gaz Radon is C-NRPP certified for measurement and mitigation.

Sources

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