Revisiting Canada's radon guideline /

At the same time, implementation measures must be reinforced to reduce indoor radon concentrations across the country and minimize (eventually, to zero) the number of homes and public-access buildings with indoor concentrations of radon that exceed the guideline. [...] Revisiting Canada’s Radon Guideline | 4 To this end, the David Suzuki Foundation offers the following recommendations: 1. Health Canada should establish a new guideline for radon in indoor air of 100 Bq/m3 and recommend reducing indoor radon concentration to as low as reasonably achievable below this level, in keeping with the principle of optimization of protection. [...] Alternative or complementary techniques, depending on conditions, include sealing openings in the slab and foundation walls and venting radon in basement air to the outside.5 Effective radon mitigation for a typical Canadian home generally costs up to $3,000.6 Preventative measures at the time of construction, if implemented correctly, are cost-effective and will reduce the number of houses with h [...] In general, radon protection requirements “should be commensurate with the wider public health policy in the country.”29 Revisiting Canada’s Radon Guideline | 12 WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) In 2009, the WHO reviewed the evidence of health effects of radon and the availability and cost- effectiveness of radon prevention and remediation in the WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon. [...] The Basic Safety Standards also direct governments to ensure information is gathered on radon concentrations in homes and public buildings, such as schools and hospitals, and to provide the public with information about the health risks associated with radon exposure.31 Revisiting Canada’s Radon Guideline | 13 RADON GUIDELINES IN OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES Many industrialized countries have up