Everyone needs to check for cancer-causing radon gas in the home: former astronaut

A radon detector is shown in a file image.

Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space, is warning Canadians about the dangers of radon gas in homes and its very serious links to lung cancer.

Bondar, a neurologist and medical consultant who spent a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, teamed up with Health Canada and the Canadian Lung Association as part of Radon Gas Awareness Month to alert Canadians about the dangers associated with radioactive radon gas.

Radon is a colourless, odourless and tasteless radioactive gas that forms during the breakdown of uranium in the environment. The gas, which is harmless when released in the air, poses a serious health risk to humans when inhaled indoors at high concentrations and has been found to be a direct cause of lung cancer.

Radioactive radon gas usually gets trapped within homes and accumulates in enclosed spaces such as basements and main floors. It can seep in through cracks in unfinished floors, walls, windows and foundations.

Radon levels can be higher in homes that are well-insulated or built on soil that is rich in uranium, thorium and radium.

“Because our homes are closed in, especially in the basement, it [radon] tends to accumulate and concentrate and we breathe it in,” Bondar told CTV Ottawa’s Morning Live.

When inhaled, radioactive radon particles enter the lungs and cause damage to cells that line the organ.

According to the Canadian Lung Association, exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada and accounts for 16 per cent of lung cancer cases across the country.

“It is the second most common cause of lung cancer among smokers and the highest cause among non-smokers,” Bondar explained.

The only way to detect radon gas is by running tests in your home. This can be done by purchasing a radon detector that will monitor radon levels in your home over a three month period.

Bondar says it is important for all Canadians to test their homes to see whether they are at risk, especially during the winter months when homes are closed up due to the weather.

“It’s something we can detect now, so it seems quite prudent to look at it and test it in every home,” she said.

“It’s a very simple fix, but it’s quite critical,” Bondar added.

Radon detection tests are available at local hardware and home improvements stores as well as online.