Calgary Board of Education to test schools for radon gas

The Calgary Board of Education said it is testing schools for radon gas over the next three months after a study suggests the city has one of the highest household radon levels in Canada.

According to an email from a CBE spokesperson, a third party will install test devices for a minimum of 91 days. The testing device is a small, round device from the ceiling in areas that are occupied four or more hours a day. The device will not omit information, sounds or smells and will be installed on a non-instructional day, the spokesperson said.

“If testing reveals a heightened presence of radon, various mitigation strategies can be implemented to reduce the concentration of the gas to safe levels. Selected schools have been notified of this testing and communications will be shared with staff, students and parents,” the spokesperson said.

This comes after a cross-Canada survey of radon exposure in residential buildings suggested that one in six properties in the Calgary Metro Area have radon levels at or above 200 becquerels per metre squared, which is the acceptable level of radon in the average home, according to Health Canada.

The report said that while some amount of radon is found in every house in Canada, high radon exposure may increase the risk of genetic mutations in the lungs because the cells are exposed to Alpha radiation.

“Genetic mutations triggered by radon exposure have the potential to alter how lung cells control their growth, increasing the risk of developing lung cancer later in life,” the report read.

“Radon gas is considered our most significant source of lifetime radiation exposure. Evidence indicates that radon exposure is responsible for one in six of all lung cancers, which equates to about one in 50 of all cancer deaths.”

The report goes on to say if a household is found have radon levels above the acceptable threshold, a radon reduction retrofit or radon mitigation can be done. According to the Canadian government, that includes increasing air tightness, sealing cracks and openings, replacing windows and doors, and adding insulation.

“Thankfully, the technology needed to retrofit a residential building to permanently reduce radon entry is well-established, highly effective in Canada, and relatively quick to install,” the report said.