Digital Radon Detector

Radon is a gas that is formed when uranium is broken down in soil and rock. The gas rises from the earth into buildings through basements and foundations. Radon is in all buildings, but a low level of radon isn’t harmful. When a high level of radon builds up it can affect human health.

Radon gas is odorless and invisible, so a monitor is needed to detect a radon level. Muskoka Lakes Public Library is happy to be a participating library in the Take Action on Radon program, intended to increase awareness of radon and it’s dangers, while offering an accessible way for communities across the country to test for radon.

For more information please visit Health Canada.

The only way to know if you are being exposed to radon gas is to test for it.  The Government of Canada recommends that any home with a radon level above 200 Bq/m³ should take action to lower their level. Most homes can be reduced to levels well below this guideline level. Find more information here.

To get you started Muskoka Lakes Public Library offers digital radon detectors for loan at both branches. These offer a short term preliminary test to assess risk. Note: the results of this test offer an incomplete picture as radon levels can vary greatly over time, affected by multiple factors. The risk is highest during the winter months when windows are closed and heating systems can draw air up from the basements of buildings.

For the most accurate result, monitoring should be done over several months. The best time of year to test is when our windows close between Fall and Spring, so less fresh air is circulating. Borrowing a monitor from MLPL for 5 weeks allows enough time for an indication that a home or building has a concerning level of radon and for our community to follow the next steps identified on the Health Canada and Take Action on Radon sites.

If your radon test result is above the 200 Bq/m3 guideline, you should hire a mitigation professional certified under the Canadian National Radon Proficiency Program. To learn more, visit c-nrpp.ca or call 1-855-722-6777.

Health Canada recommendation for remedial action:

• Remediate within 2 years: Results between 200 and 600 Bq/m3; Health Canada recommends taking steps to reduce the radon level within 2 years.
• Remediate within 1 year: Results greater than 600 Bq/m3; Health Canada recommends taking steps to reduce the level within 1 year.

While the health risk from radon exposure below the Canadian Guideline is small, there is no safe radon level. It is the choice of each homeowner to decide what level of radon exposure they are willing to accept.