Rural Ontario man finds high levels of radioactive gas in new home — wants others to check

If it wasn't for an encounter with a neighbour last summer, Bob Barnes would have never known his recently purchased house also came with extremely high levels of a cancer-causing gas.

In July of 2023, Barnes purchased and started renovating a property in the Chatham-Kent, Ont., community of Cedar Springs to be closer to his grandchildren.

And one day, while sitting outside on the porch, a neighbour stopped by.

"[He] said, 'Are you aware of the radon gas levels out here?' We had no idea and he said, 'I have a meter — you are welcome to use it,'" said Barnes.

About 24 hours later, the monitor placed in his living room read 2,500 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3). The healthy limit on Health Canada's website is set at 200, while according to the World Health Organization it's at 100 Bq/m3.

"I was really shocked. I thought the meter wasn't reading correctly so I reset it."

That didn't change the results, nor did buying another monitoring device. He decided to test in his basement — the radon gas levels were 40 times higher than healthy levels.

"I immediately opened every door and every window in the house."

What is radon gas?

Radon is an odourless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil and water that can seep into homes through small cracks and holes that build up over time.

It's also the second-leading cause of lung cancer deaths after cigarettes, according to the Canadian Lung Association (CLA). Radon exposure is estimated to be the cause of 16 per cent of lung cancers.

"It's extremely difficult to heal, so what happens is when we breathe in radon at sufficient levels it damages the DNA in our lungs and leads to genetic mutations," said Dr. Aaron Goodarzi, a professor at the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine.

Kids, he said, are at an even higher risk because they have a longer life expectancy.

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Goodarzi, who's also the scientific director of the Evict Radon National Study, said genetic mutations can take anywhere from 10 to 30 years to develop — meaning there's more potential for children exposed to radon to develop lung cancer in their lives.

Radon gas can be found in any home that has contact with the ground; however, rural communities across the country have a 30 per cent increased risk of high levels, according to Goodarzi.

The amount of time you spend in the home, and for how many years, can also factor into the chances of you getting lung cancer, he said.

A house built around the end of the Second World War had a one-in-10 risk of having unhealthy levels of radon, he said. And, a new house built around 2020 has seen its risk rate rise to a one-in-four chance.

It's an ugly statistic, Goodarzi said, that people don't want to face.

"Our homes are our safe space and we do not want, despite reality, to acknowledge that there could be something dangerous about our homes that is affecting our health."

Questions around accountability

The cough and headache Barnes developed during the fall of last year have cleared up since fixing his radon issues, according to the Cedar Springs resident.

He drilled a hole into the concrete in the basement, sticking a pipe overtop with a fan to blow the gas out of his home.

It's not a complicated renovation, he said, and he's now able to manage the radon levels in his home. However, he wonders how in Ontario you're able to buy a house with no mention of the gas.

"They don't inform you, they don't test or make you test. They don't tell you it's a major problem in this area, so you are kind of on your own," he said.

"If it wasn't for my neighbour, we would be living in here with those extremely high levels."

Goodarzi said a main reason for a lack of policy and general public awareness of the gas is because it falls under provincial jurisdiction, like all mineral rights, gas and natural waterways.

"Each Canadian province or territory is, or isn't in many cases, doing their own thing.… That has sort of created a lack of critical momentum," said Goodarzi.

Ontario's Ministry of Health said in a statement to CBC News that "local public health authorities are responsible for raising public awareness and supporting the development of health policies around health hazards in indoor air and exposure to radiation."

There have been local efforts to combat radon in Windsor-Essex, Ont. In 2015, the health unit undertook a three-year study to better understand the situation locally.

It found approximately 11 per cent of homes tested across the city and county have radon levels above healthy levels.

Health Canada has created a National Radon Program, which includes surveys, public education initiatives and standardized measurements.

Self-initiative could save lives

Every morning Barnes continues to wake up and check his radon monitor to ensure levels in his house aren't too high. He also always keeps windows in his bedroom and living room open, just a crack.

His electricity bill costs a little bit more, but he says it's worth it for what could be future health complications for him and his family.

"We as homeowners should be made aware of it so we can make our own decisions whether we decide to deal with it or not," he said.

"It's an easy check, it's well worth it."