Health Canada considers prolonged exposure to radon in family dwellings the second-leading cause of lung cancer (second only to cigarette smoking). In Canada, radon exposure causes more than 3,200 lung cancer deaths per year. Radon exposure can represent a significant environmental health risk to families in the Canada. The level of risk is directly related to the measured radon in air concentration, thus the importance of measuring indoor radon concentrations accurately in order to determine if radon mitigation is necessary to protect the health of current and future occupants. Every home has the possibility of elevated radon concentrations and there are no areas of the country that are not radon containing.
ALL-TECH Environmental Services Ltd. (ALL-TECH) offers radon consulting and measurement services to individual homeowners, multifamily buildings and commercial properties, home inspectors, realtors and property managers throughout Atlantic Canada. ALL-TECH’s radon services are completed following guidelines and protocols issued by Health Canada, the US EPA and ANSI/CARST (Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists).
ALL-TECH has worked with numerous property owners in assisting them with the selection of qualified radon mitigation contractors and providing the required oversight during installation and follow-up testing after the mitigation systems have been installed. ALL-TECH provides a full spectrum of radon consulting and testing services including:
ALL-TECH’s certified radon testing services are provided by a Radon Measurement Professionals certified by the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) and the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA). Our rigorous in-house quality assurance program ensures that our equipment is manufacturer calibrated and performance tested for reliable and accurate results. All radon projects are supported by our multi-disciplinary team including, certified safety professionals, project managers, contractor supervisors, field technicians, environmental engineers, certified engineering technologists and industrial hygienists.
ALL-TECH – RADON MEASUREMENT SERVICES
Health Canada’s policy is that all Canadian homes and public buildings should be tested for radon and mitigated if above the action guideline (200 Bq/m3). The only way to know if there is Radon in your home, is to complete measurement testing. Radon concentrations in a home can vary from day to day, so the most accurate way to find out if you have an issue is to measure radon concentrations in your home for at least 3 months.
Health Canada recommends a long term test; this includes leaving a monitor in the testing area for a minimum of 91 days, while short term testing is considered anything less than 90 days.
Radon Concentrations in Canadian Homes
In 2009 Health Canada conducted a two-year study of radon concentrations in homes across Canada.
This study found that:
The Canadian guidelines suggest: concentrations if average indoor radon concentrations between 200 and 600 Bq/m3 are measured, it is recommended to reduce the concentrations within 2 years; and if average indoor radon concentrations above 600 Bq/m3 are measured, it is recommended to reduce the concentration within one year.
No matter where your home or building is located, the only way to know if it has a high concentration of radon, is to test.
Radon measurement services offered by ALL-TECH include:
Radon measurement services are offered to both commercial and residential clients. Sampling can be completed via our in-house radon laboratory utilizing the Eperm, Electret Ion Chamber system, or via third party laboratories utilizing Alpha-Track or Activated Charcoal Adsorption and Liquid Scintillation methods.
For larger, more complex types of commercial and industrial buildings including, hospital, schools, office building, high rises, care facilities, child-care, etc… we provide can provide a consultation to discuss your particular needs and develop a comprehensive and specific sampling strategy for your given location.
If radon concentrations in your home or building are above the Canadian guideline, Health Canada recommends that you hire a professional certified under the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program (C-NRPP) or National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) to help mitigate the radon concentration, as l radon mitigation in a home requires specific technical knowledge and skills to ensure the job is done properly.
Radon Mitigation, is the process of installing a system to ensure radon and radon decay products do not accumulate within a building to unhealthy concentrations. The most effective way to remove radon and radon decay products is by using a radon mitigation system. Radon mitigation systems are built using a series of pipes and radon reduction fans that help collect the radon gas from underneath the foundation of the building and then properly exhaust the radon gas outside of the structure. The principles of radon mitigation are actually fairly straight forward; however, proper design and installation is very important.
ALL-TECH offers mitigation design consulting for your specific project. We have a team of seasoned professionals with demonstrated real-world experience in radon mitigation design and installation to assist you. ALL-TECH has worked with numerous property owners in assisting them with the selection of qualified radon mitigation contractors and providing the required follow-up testing after mitigation systems have been installed.
ALL-TECH’s Radon Mitigation consulting capabilities include the following:
ALL-TECH will provide accurate diagnostic and consulting services to develop the proper approach to your Radon Mitigation requirements and design a system for radon water mitigation and/or a radon gas mitigation. ALL-TECH will give you the best and most cost-effective system, while ensuring the most reliable solution for your specific project to reduce your radon concentrations. Even with hard to correct radon issues we can apply advanced radon mitigation practices to ensure the best solution for your project.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us to discuss how we can work with you to find effective Radon Measurement and Mitigation solutions.
ALL-TECH Environmental Services Limited is an Atlantic Canada owned and operated company providing clients with cost-effective solutions in both the environmental consulting sector and the occupational health and safety fields.
