Radon half-life 3.8 days, and why the basement does not “air itself out”
Radon-222 has a half-life of about 3.8 days: half of the atoms present turn into other elements. That does not mean a closed basement is clear after a week. The soil keeps supplying more. A balance forms between what enters and what decays or leaks out.
The decay products are solid and radioactive. Attached to dust and inhaled, they deliver the dose to the lung. Taking the detector outside “to let it decay” measures nothing. Lung cancer.
References: Health Canada, radon: what you need to know and the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. The two-year window between 200 and 600, and the one-year window above 600, come from Health Canada’s guide for radon measurements in homes.
The 4-day test is a first reading. The 91-day test covers the minimum of three months Health Canada asks for. Both are $59 before tax. Shipping, the prepaid return and the lab are included. Tax is extra. The PDF report goes out within 2 business days after the lab receives the detector.
Above 200 Bq/m³, mitigation starts with a quote. Gaz Radon is C-NRPP certified for testing and for installation, and ships kits across Canada.
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