Smokers and radon the same 200 Bq/m³ guideline
Health Canada writes that people who smoke and who are exposed to radon have a still higher risk of lung cancer. Radon remains the leading cause among people who do not smoke. Both sentences are true at once: the gas is not “a smokers’ problem,” and cigarettes do not cancel the gas.
There is no single honest multiplier to stick on every house. The risk depends on the number of cigarettes, the number of years, and the level in the bedroom. Inventing “15 times” or “25 times” without the study and the dose assumption tells a story, not the file on this house.
What to do, and in which order
Stopping smoking lowers the risk of lung cancer whatever happens in the basement. Measuring radon says whether the bedroom adds an exposure you can avoid. Both are worth doing. The test does not judge smoking, and a nicotine patch does not lower Bq/m³.
The mechanism is explained in radon and lung cancer. The Canadian guideline: 100 or 200.
Reference points: Health Canada, what you need to know about radon and the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. The two-year timeline between 200 and 600, and one year above 600, comes from Health Canada’s guide for radon measurements in homes.
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.
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