A specialist environmental health officer with Interior Health says everyone in Canada should test for radon.
乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 have to be in a uranium rich, mining grade area to have radon," said Greg Baytalan. "Certainly, if you are in a uranium rich area like Clearwater or Beaverdale, for example, places like that the chance of having higher radon is greater. But we don乌鸦传媒檛 want people to think that you have to be located in a uranium rich area before you should test for radon. Everyone in Canada should test for radon."
Baytalan is the specialist environmental health officer with Interior Health based out of Kelowna and covers what he calls an 乌鸦传媒淚H-wide乌鸦传媒� area that stretches to Williams Lake, down to Princeton, then Cranbrook, and over to the Alberta border and even Golden 乌鸦传媒� and all points in between within the B.C. Interior.
In an interview with Black Press on Monday July 21, he was asked about the recent concerns on social media from parents in Barriere about radon mitigation in the Barriere Elementary and Barriere Secondary schools.
乌鸦传媒淢y position is focused on radon and the Interior is definitely a concern," he responded. "There乌鸦传媒檚 a higher prevalence of residential buildings above the Canadian guideline in the Interior of B.C. than the two hottest provinces in Canada, which are New Brunswick and Manitoba 乌鸦传媒� in that order.乌鸦传媒�
With regards to day cares and schools, Baytalan refers to the work being done by the University of Calgary, specifically Dr. Aaron Goodarzi Associate Professor at Charbonneau Cancer Institute at the University of Calgary.
In a YouTube video, which Baytalan recommends watching, Goodarzi speaks about Radon testing and mitigation in schools across Canada. The doctor describes radon testing in schools, saying there is a protocol in Canada for how to test a building like a school.
"You would test a number of the classrooms and any of the below grade, meaning under the ground rooms in buildings. There is a prescribed process through which that happens to ensure that you乌鸦传媒檙e not missing any of the areas that could potentially put people in harm乌鸦传媒檚 way,乌鸦传媒� said Goodarzi.
As far as radon testing in schools in School District #73 and elsewhere in the Interior Baytalan explained that Interior Health has an inventory of schools and offers free detectors to school districts and if they want to create a list and test.
"We乌鸦传媒檝e strongly encouraged schools to test but we haven乌鸦传媒檛 actually required them to test. I乌鸦传媒檓 a major advocate for that requirement to be initiated someday," he said. 乌鸦传媒淲e do require day cares to test as of 2017.乌鸦传媒�
Radon is a naturally occurring colourless, odourless, radioactive gas that can accumulate in your home. Second to smoking, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer.
Baytalan乌鸦传媒檚 advice to parents is to be proactive.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 like parents in the Interior, in the North Thompson, the Cariboo, the Okanagan to start asking their day care operators, their school providers, the principals, and staff 乌鸦传媒楬ave you tested for radon?乌鸦传媒� and if they have ask what the levels are and if it乌鸦传媒檚 high follow up with asking what they are doing about that. There is what we call interim or temporary mitigation and there乌鸦传媒檚 long-term mitigation. One of the best and fastest ways to implement short-term interim mitigation is to open windows or increase the dilution and pressure with your HVAC system.乌鸦传媒�
He said there is no reason why a place should sit high for a year or two ahead of addressing the problem while waiting for funds to be budgeted, but rather 乌鸦传媒済et on with it if it乌鸦传媒檚 high by diluting the air and using the HVAC or ventilating via open windows乌鸦传媒� especially if it乌鸦传媒檚 an older building and then it乌鸦传媒檚 planning for the long- term. 乌鸦传媒淪uch as either submembrane or sub slab depressurization or what some schools do is put their HVAC systems on timers.乌鸦传媒�
By putting the system on timers for early morning it flushes the air before school starts, he explained.
乌鸦传媒淲hat should parents do? Parents should be cognizant that radon is global. When they are putting their children in schools or day care ask the question. Have you tested and more than anything they should test their own homes,乌鸦传媒� he stressed.
If a rec room, bedroom, exercise room or gym is in a basement or lower level, whether at home, work or school, those areas should definitely be tested.
乌鸦传媒淕enerally speaking, schools will not be as high as a home. Schools have a lot of stuff going on within them. They have an HVAC system on the roof and there are people coming and going. But in some of these basements, they can test really high. We should congratulate School District #73; they are testing schools. But have you tested your house? If not go to BC Lung Radon and order yourself a radon detector to arrive in the fall and test for three months during the cold season. That乌鸦传媒檚 what people should do.乌鸦传媒�
To order your detector go to:
For more info on radon visit:
