← Back to Home

RadonWatch Learning Center

Complete Guide to Understanding Radon

What is Radon?

The Basics

Radon is a radioactive gas that you cannot see, smell, or taste. It is:

  • Colorless and odorless
  • Chemically inert (a noble gas)
  • Naturally occurring
  • Present in nearly all soil and rock
  • The second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking

Radon is formed naturally from the breakdown of uranium in rocks and soil. Because it's a gas, it can move freely through the ground and enter buildings, where it can accumulate to dangerous levels.

Key Facts

  • • Every home in Canada has some radon — the question is how much
  • • Radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States
  • • In Canada, approximately 16% of lung cancer deaths are attributed to radon exposure
  • • 1 in 5 Canadian homes has radon levels above Health Canada's guideline of 200 Bq/m³
  • • The only way to know your radon level is to test your home

Why Should You Care?

Radon is a serious public health issue that often goes undetected because:

  1. It's completely imperceptible to human senses
  2. Health effects take years or decades to appear
  3. Many people are simply unaware of the risk
  4. Testing is not routinely done in most homes

The good news: Radon problems can be fixed, and mitigation systems are highly effective at reducing radon levels by up to 99%.