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Frequently asked questions
Information about Health Canada
Who is doing this survey? Who is Health Canada? This survey is being undertaken by Health Canada. Health Canada is a department of the federal government. Its goal is for Canada to be among the countries with the healthiest people in the world. To achieve this goal, it relies on high-quality scientific research, and communicates information about disease prevention to protect Canadians from avoidable risks. For more information, please visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewh-semt/radiation/radon/index-eng.php
What is the Radiation Protection Bureau? The Radiation Protection Bureau is a branch of Health Canada. Its mandate is to promote and protect the health of Canadians by assessing and managing the risks posed by radiation exposure in living, working, and recreational environments. For more information please visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branch-dirgen/hecs-dgsesc/sep-psm/rpb-br-eng.php
What is the Radiation Protection Bureau? The Radiation Protection Bureau is a branch of Health Canada. Its mandate is to promote and protect the health of Canadians by assessing and managing the risks posed by radiation exposure in living, working, and recreational environments. For more information please visit http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/branch-dirgen/hecs-dgsesc/sep-psm/rpb-br-eng.php
Information about the Radon Study
What is this project about? This research involves a cross-Canada residential radon survey. The objective of the research is to reduce the risk of radon exposure for all Canadians. The information collected from this study will be used to map radon levels across Canada. This map will more clearly define areas in Canada that are ‘radon rich,’ or in other words have elevated levels of radon.
Why should I participate? By participating, you will be helping Health Canada understand the risk of radon exposure for all Canadians. You will also have the opportunity to have your home’s radon levels tested for free. Testing normally costs $50 to $90.
How was my household selected? We are choosing households at random from across the country. Your telephone number was selected at random, based on the geographic area in which you live.
Why me – Can’t you pick someone else? It's very important that we get households from across Canada. By participating, you are helping to represent your geographic area. We only selected a few people from each region, so your participation is important. However, participation is voluntary and you do have the right to refuse.
How do I get a copy of my results and what do I do if my house has high radon levels? Health Canada will send the results of the radon test to you by mail after the test is completed and assessed. These results will be maintained by Health Canada in a non-public secure database. If high results are identified, Health Canada will provide you with information and advice on how to correct this situation
What if I find a high concentration of radon in my home; can I do anything about it? Yes, there are methods to reduce radon in homes. The cost of reducing radon in your home depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. The average radon remediation process, typically done using a contractor, may cost between $1,500 and $3,000.
Can the survey be completed by someone else? The survey should be completed by an adult household head. If you have set up the radon detector and then unexpectedly become unavailable to return it, another household head can send it back to Health Canada. Radon level results will be sent to the original participant.
Why should I participate? By participating, you will be helping Health Canada understand the risk of radon exposure for all Canadians. You will also have the opportunity to have your home’s radon levels tested for free. Testing normally costs $50 to $90.
How was my household selected? We are choosing households at random from across the country. Your telephone number was selected at random, based on the geographic area in which you live.
Why me – Can’t you pick someone else? It's very important that we get households from across Canada. By participating, you are helping to represent your geographic area. We only selected a few people from each region, so your participation is important. However, participation is voluntary and you do have the right to refuse.
How do I get a copy of my results and what do I do if my house has high radon levels? Health Canada will send the results of the radon test to you by mail after the test is completed and assessed. These results will be maintained by Health Canada in a non-public secure database. If high results are identified, Health Canada will provide you with information and advice on how to correct this situation
What if I find a high concentration of radon in my home; can I do anything about it? Yes, there are methods to reduce radon in homes. The cost of reducing radon in your home depends on how your home was built and the extent of the radon problem. Most homes can be fixed for about the same cost as other common home repairs. The average radon remediation process, typically done using a contractor, may cost between $1,500 and $3,000.
Can the survey be completed by someone else? The survey should be completed by an adult household head. If you have set up the radon detector and then unexpectedly become unavailable to return it, another household head can send it back to Health Canada. Radon level results will be sent to the original participant.
Information about Radon
What is radon? Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed naturally by the radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water. Radon is slowly released from the ground, water, and some building materials. Radon cannot be detected by the senses, i.e., it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless; however, it can be detected with special devices.
How can radon get into my home? Radon is in the soil. Radon can enter a home any place it finds an opening where the house contacts the soil: cracks in foundation walls and in floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, cavities inside walls, and the water supply.
The only way to find out if your home has a radon problem is to measure the radon concentration inside it.
How can radon affect my health? The only known health risk associated with exposure to high levels of radon in indoor air is an increased lifetime risk of developing lung cancer. The effects depend on the levels of radon and how long a person is exposed to these levels.
On average, 10% of lung cancers are attributable to radon exposure worldwide. In 2006, an estimated 1,900 lung cancer deaths in Canada were due to radon exposure.
Are children more at risk from radon than adults? Children have been reported to be at greater risk than adults for certain types of radiation exposure, but there is currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.
Where in Canada are radon levels the highest? Radon concentrations differ greatly throughout Canada, but are usually higher in areas where there is a high concentration of uranium in underlying rock and soil. Radon is found in almost every home, but concentration levels will vary from one house to another, even if they are similar and next door to each other.
My house is new/old so it shouldn't have a problem, right? The age of a home is not a factor when it comes to whether excessive levels of radon are present in the dwelling.
How can radon get into my home? Radon is in the soil. Radon can enter a home any place it finds an opening where the house contacts the soil: cracks in foundation walls and in floor slabs, construction joints, gaps around service pipes and support posts, floor drains and sumps, cavities inside walls, and the water supply.
The only way to find out if your home has a radon problem is to measure the radon concentration inside it.
How can radon affect my health? The only known health risk associated with exposure to high levels of radon in indoor air is an increased lifetime risk of developing lung cancer. The effects depend on the levels of radon and how long a person is exposed to these levels.
On average, 10% of lung cancers are attributable to radon exposure worldwide. In 2006, an estimated 1,900 lung cancer deaths in Canada were due to radon exposure.
Are children more at risk from radon than adults? Children have been reported to be at greater risk than adults for certain types of radiation exposure, but there is currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.
Where in Canada are radon levels the highest? Radon concentrations differ greatly throughout Canada, but are usually higher in areas where there is a high concentration of uranium in underlying rock and soil. Radon is found in almost every home, but concentration levels will vary from one house to another, even if they are similar and next door to each other.
My house is new/old so it shouldn't have a problem, right? The age of a home is not a factor when it comes to whether excessive levels of radon are present in the dwelling.
Information about the Contractors
Who is PRA Inc. (Prairie Research Associates)? To manage the survey process and to ensure confidentiality, Health Canada has contracted the services of Prairie Research Associates (PRA) Inc. PRA is an independent, national research firm with extensive experience with large-scale surveys. PRA is based in Winnipeg, with offices in Ottawa, Regina, and Edmonton.
Who is the National Survey Center? To manage the survey process and to ensure confidentiality, Health Canada has contracted the services of the National Survey Center. They are an independent, national research firm with extensive experience with large-scale surveys.
How will my information be protected? PRA and the National Survey Center are required by contract to follow Canada’s privacy legislation. Participants’ contact information is stored separately from your survey information, and all information will be destroyed upon completion of the process.
What about confidentiality? Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and will be combined with those of others in the final report. Individual survey answers will not be shared with anyone. It will not be possible to identify your individual responses in reports. All retained individual data will be de-identified to protect your privacy.
Who is the National Survey Center? To manage the survey process and to ensure confidentiality, Health Canada has contracted the services of the National Survey Center. They are an independent, national research firm with extensive experience with large-scale surveys.
How will my information be protected? PRA and the National Survey Center are required by contract to follow Canada’s privacy legislation. Participants’ contact information is stored separately from your survey information, and all information will be destroyed upon completion of the process.
What about confidentiality? Your answers will be kept strictly confidential and will be combined with those of others in the final report. Individual survey answers will not be shared with anyone. It will not be possible to identify your individual responses in reports. All retained individual data will be de-identified to protect your privacy.