Shannon Bashir

I recently had the pleasure of partaking in a presentation with Dr. Aaron Goodarzi discussing Radon in our homes. It was exceptionally well done and thoroughly informative. I learned a great deal about it and thought to pass it on here.

Radon is a radioactive gas that naturally occurs in our environment. It has no colour, odor or taste and can easily access our homes through any opening where the house is in contact with the ground; cracks in the foundation and floor slabs, construction joints, and even well water. Radon can affect our health by targeting our DNA and is a substantial cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

The cause is currently unknown, but there has been a significant increase of radon levels in newer homes, approximately 1 in 6 tested have dangerously high levels. Radon levels increase in poorly ventilated spaces, like basements and crawlspaces. The Kootenays and the Okanagan area known to have high radon levels, however researchers do not have enough data for the Greater Vancouver area.

Dr. Goodarzi is encouraging everyone to join the “Evict Radon Research Project”. The data collected will help researchers understand radon exposures across Canada and provide ways to mitigate exposure to keep us healthy.

Babies and young children are most at risk, as they breathe 2-3 times faster than older children and adults do. Lung cancer from radon is preventable and shouldn’t be occurring. By joining the study you will be helping our future generation from suffering the effects of radon as well as gaining peace of mind regarding the levels of radon in your own home.

If you are interested in having your home tested for radon, while also contributing valuable data to this research, please click on the link below. The link provides some eye opening information as well as an opportunity to purchase the 90 day Radon Test Kit (supplied at their cost to you).

Click Link below

Evict Radon Research Program

Dr. Goodarzi is the Canada Research Chair for Radiation Exposure Disease and is both the Education Lead and Microscopy Lead for the University of Calgary’s Charbonneau Cancer Institute. Dr. Goodarzi is also the founder and leader of Evict Radon (excerpt from his biography)