Radon tests in the home recommended by health officials

Radon should be tested for in the home say Canadian health officials.

Radon, a leading cause of lung cancer, is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally and can leak into the home through cracks, said CTV News.

The gas cannot be seen or smelled but it is easily tested for.

Canadian health officials said that the home should be tested with a monitor for three months beginning in fall when windows and doors are kept closed.

"It can be fixed. It's easy to fix. And while it's not cheap, it's not super expensive either," Kelley Bush, chief of radon education and awareness at Health Canada, told the Canadian Press.

A recent survey of Canadians showed that only one percent of the population knew about the lung cancer danger of radon exposure.

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Radon levels depend on many factors, the Canadian Press pointed out, including levels of uranium in the soil around the home and the type of soil.

The levels of radon always vary depending on the location of the home.

"If we could say it was one thing, in one place it would be a lot easier for Health Canada to get people to actually do something about it," Bush said, according to the Canadian Press.

"The only thing we can say is everyone should test, because it's really the only way to know."

Commercial tests for radon can be purchased at hardware stores.