Radon testing and long-term monitoring in Northern BC

In Health Canada’s 2012 survey, 12% of 208 homes tested in the Northern Interior Health Service Delivery Area were above the guideline; 10% of 200 homes tested in the Northeast Health Service Delivery Area were above the guideline.

The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports about 1 in 3 homes at or above the guideline for the survey's B.C. Interior region (northern and interior B.C.). The two surveys aren't directly comparable: the 2024 study pooled about 69,000 volunteer tests, more of them in basements, which partly explains its higher numbers. Neither can tell you about a single house, because neighbouring homes can differ widely.

Health Canada's measurement guide asks for a long-term test with at least 91 days in the heating season, when closed windows and the stack effect make readings higher, so the result is a conservative estimate of the yearly average. It recommends testing for 3 to 12 months.

• Alpha track detectors record radon's alpha particles on a plastic film; you mail them to a lab when the test ends.
• Electret ion chambers lose charge as radon ionizes the air inside; a lab reads the voltage drop.
• Digital (electronic) monitors read continuously and show results on a screen or an app. For a long-term test, Health Canada says to use one that has passed C-NRPP performance testing, and it still has to run at least three months.

Place the detector on the lowest level where someone spends more than four hours a day, at least 30 cm above the floor and 30 cm from walls, and at least 1 m from vents, windows and doors; avoid kitchens, laundry rooms and bathrooms. A digital monitor left running after mitigation lets you watch for changes between the long-term tests below.

• BC Lung's library lending program puts radon detectors in many BC libraries, free with a library card, and the BC Centre for Disease Control publishes a BC Radon Map of results by area.
• For a professional measurement or mitigation, search the C-NRPP directory ↗ by postal code; it lists certified measurement and mitigation professionals, and you can confirm they cover Prince George and the rest of Northern BC.

Health Canada recommends fixing levels above 200 Bq/m³ within a year, and sooner the higher the level. The usual fix is a sub-slab depressurization system (a sealed pipe through the floor and a fan venting outside), which Health Canada says costs about $2,000 to $3,000 including material and labour and cuts radon by more than 80% in most homes. Hire a professional certified for mitigation under C-NRPP.

After a system goes in:

• A C-NRPP professional runs a short test starting at least 24 hours after the fan is turned on.
• A long-term three-month test follows in the next fall or winter, done by a company other than the installer.
• With an active system, Health Canada recommends a long-term test within two years of activation and every five years after that, and again after renovations.
• Check the system's pressure gauge (manometer) regularly and never switch the fan off. It costs about $50 to $75 a year to run; a replacement fan is $200 to $300.

Since March 2024, the BC Building Code requires a radon rough-in in all new houses province-wide. The Canadian Lung Association's Lungs Matter program offers up to $1,500 toward mitigation for households with low to moderate incomes or a lung cancer diagnosis.

Read more: The radon testing guide.