The second leading cause of lung cancer by a naturally occurring and odorless gas resulting from the breakdown of uranium in soil and rocks is more common in the region than you might think.
Program Manager for the BC Lung Association’s Radon Awareness Program, Britt Swoveland says the Cariboo is in what is called area one of the province when it comes to radon.
“Essentially if you were to draw a line down the coastal mountain range, everything east of that in the province is essentially considered area one which is known or suspected to a be higher radon risk area in the province.”
Swoveland encourages homeowners to test their homes and businesses for radon through a low-cost testing kit which is available online through Radon Aware.
A community wide-radon testing project has recently revealed that 29% of homes in Prince George have radon levels above Health Canada’s action guidelines while a 2012 nation-wide survey estimated 12% of homeowners in BC’s Northern Interior are living in properties with radon levels exceeding guidelines.