A local mother of two, Julia Shams, has launched a petition through an online platform, change.org, which seeks to make radon testing mandatory in Alberta public schools, day homes and day care facilities. The online petition was launched Jan.
A local mother of two, Julia Shams, has launched a petition through an online platform, change.org, which seeks to make radon testing mandatory in Alberta public schools, day homes and day care facilities.
The online petition was launched Jan. 20 and is directed at Stephen Mandel, the Alberta minister of health, and Dr. James Talbot, the chief medical officer for Alberta. The petition can be viewed at change.org/p/stephen-mandel-make-radon-testing-mandatory-in-schools-day-homes-and-day-care-facilities, and Shams is hoping all parents will take a moment to sign and to share the link on social media.
“Would you be comfortable sending your child to school with the possibility of them getting 480,000 dental X-rays in one year? ” said Shams, whose six-year-old daughter attends Elizabeth Barrett.
“So, why is it acceptable to be sending them to school where potentially high radon levels could be the equivalent? ”
While Alberta is behind the pack of provinces ramping up radon awareness (January marks National Radon Action Month), increasingly more people are becoming aware of the odourless, tasteless and colourless gas that, when people are exposed to it long-term, makes it the second leading cause of lung cancer.
According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 27 per cent of all 2014 cancer deaths were from lung cancer (20,500 Canadians). You can never get rid of radon - which is only harmful when concentrated in levels above 200 Bq/m3 inside your home - but you can ventilate it and substantially reduce your risk of getting lung cancer; mitigation systems run anywhere from $1,800-$3,000.
Health Canada recommends people purchase a long-term (91-day) radon test kit. The kit can be purchased through RadonWest or at other retailers such as Canadian Tire and Home Hardware, and the cost is $45, including lab fees. Other short-term testing options are available.
Shams said she hopes to see Alberta educators take this petition seriously - to bring radon testing up the priority list.
Other provinces are becoming more proactive about radon - including Quebec, where radon testing in public schools recently became mandatory.
According to Health Canada, an average of seven per cent of homes across the country test high for radon and 8.1 per cent in Alberta (due to glacial till).
“I think it's great that Julia is doing this, ” said Renata MacQueen of RadonWest - a local radon testing and mitigation company. “This is how change happens. ”
MacQueen added that installing mitigation systems in commercial buildings is different than in residential buildings, but doesn't necessarily mean a greater expense.
According to Tamara Magnan, director of communications for Alberta Eduction, some Calgary Catholic and public schools are targeting radon testing in the near future.
She added that at this point, it is up to the discretion of the school boards to choose to test for radon.
To learn more about radon and radon awareness, visit Health Canada at hc-sc.gc.ca.
