RADON--Anyone to blame?

Quinn Thiele Mineault Grodzki LLP, personal injury lawyers Ottawa, would like to bring to your attention the recent news about Radon Gas build up in homes and the results of recent studies indicating that the prevalence of radon gas in homes was once underestimated. News about Radon gas has made a comeback lately as federal officials have determined that 7% of Canadian homes, nationally, have levels of Radon gas that are above safe levels thereby requiring action to be taken to prevent real harm to human health. What is Radon gas? Well it is a gas created by the decay of uranium in rocks and soil throughout the earth's crust. It is caused by a natural phenomenon. THe problem is that if the gas gets trapped in an enclosed place, like a house, it accumulates to levels that are dangerous to human health. Radon gas is measured in Becquerels. People are often exposed to Radon gas over extended periods of time in their homes. The exposure to radon gas increases their risk of cancer. Recent studies have shown that radon linked deaths in Canada have increased to about 3200 persons annually. Radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer, after smoking. Is Radon Gas exposure inevitable? A fact of life? The answer is no. You are able to self test for Radon Gas in your home through a do it yourself test kit available at many hardware stores. If radon gas is detected at unsafe levels it is entirely possible to release the gas to the atmosphere through proper venting. The venting will need to be done by professionals to ensure that radon gas levels are brought down to more reasonable levels. Testing is simple and relatively cheap. Given the consequences of prolonged exposure you may wish to consider completing the simple test.