It's colourless, odourless and seeps into your home from the surrounding soil. It offers no warning signs to alert you to exposure. With every breath you take, you could be subjecting yourself to a radioactive gas called radon Radon, one of the most potent carcinogens known, is highly associated with lung cancer, which is a leading cause of death in Canada.
Many Canadian homes contain dangerous levels of radon.
It can be found in nearly all soils with high concentrations where soil and rocks contain uranium, granite, shale or phosphate. It may also be found in soils contaminated with certain types of industrial waste such as the by-products of uranium or phosphate mining. Canada is the world's largest uranium producer and exporter. According to Health Canada, in the open air radon gas is so diluted that it's not a problem. As radon decays, it produces decay products called radon daughters or radon progeny.