Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in Canada. Kristin Carroll, Health Canada’s regional radiation specialist, joins CTV Morning Live Edmonton to discuss how to test radon levels in your home.

This transcript has been edited for length and clarity.

Cory Edel: A study last month shows almost a fifth of Canadians live in homes containing potentially dangerous levels of radon. November will be Radon Action Month, and Kristin has some ideas for you. It’s great to see you, because I think a lot of people were a little bit surprised by that, at least when we had our morning meeting, and I think the general public as well. Radon is a big problem. Why don’t you tell us about radon and where it comes from?

Kristin Carroll: It is a naturally occurring gas. It is formed by the breakdown of uranium in the soil and can then enter your home through any cracks, gaps in pipes and reach potentially dangerous levels. High levels are the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers in Canada.

Cory: Wow. How many deaths per year can possibly be attributed to radon?

Christine: There are approximately 3,000 deaths a year in Canada.

Cory: This is quite significant. I think a lot of people don’t realize that radon is coming out of their basements and causing these problems.

Christine: No, so we hope to raise some awareness about this and encourage Canadians to test at home.

Cory: How do we do this?

Christine: We recommend purchasing one of these small long-term test kits. You can buy them online at: takeactiononradon.caand they will send it to your home. All you have to do is unpack it and put it on the shelf. The hardest part is remembering where you put it three months later so you can send it back to the lab. They will usually email you what your results are.

Cory: Where should we put it?

Christine: We recommend placing these on the lowest living floor of your home. If you have a teenager’s basement or bedroom in the basement or a family room you use, put it there. If you don’t use your basement at all, put it in your living room, for example.

Cory: What is the solution now if we discover high levels of radon in our home?

Christine: We recommend hiring a certified professional through the Canadian National radon qualification program. They will come and evaluate your home, but the most typical solution is called “active earth pressure reduction.” That’s the little guy right here. They will drill into your flooring, create a vent outside, and install a fan. Pretty simple, about a day’s work.

Cory: This isn’t too bad. It’s a really cool thing, if you don’t have this, but your home was built in 2015 or later, it’s already roughed out.

Christine: Yes, you will see the beginnings of what this system will look like. There they seal the pipe that will go under your foundation. This does nothing to help radon, but if you test and test high it will help reduce the cost of building a full mitigation system.

Cory: So there are ways to alleviate it, but you still can’t get rid of it completely?

Christine: Yes. If you install one of these systems, it is about 90 percent effective.

Cory: Is there an acceptable amount of radon we can live with?

Christine: There definitely is. Our guideline level is 200 becquerels per cubic meter. If you do a test on this, we recommend you take action and install one of these mitigation systems within a year. If you’re below this level, retest after five to 10 years or if you’re going to do a major home renovation.

Cory: Thank you for talking to us about radon. For more information, please visit the Health Canada website, canada.ca/radon.