Nearly a third of Prince George residents could be at risk of lung cancer and may not even know it.
According to the BC Lung Association, 29% of residents are living with levels of radon that exceed the recommended amount.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Odorless, colorless, and tasteless, the radioactive gas is undetectable to human senses.
Homeowners can buy a kit from Northern Health to test for radon levels on their property. Although it doesn’t do them much good if there are no local professionals who can mitigate radon.
“Northern BC is an area with high radon potential, yet we only have one certified mitigation professional in the north.” said Megan Klitch with the BC Cancer Society.
To try and increase the number of workers with the necessary expertise, the BC Cancer Society is offering a new program this year to educate building and construction professionals on how to mitigate radon levels.
“We’re organizing this training to help ensure there is capacity in northern BC to support homeowners who find they have high radon levels.” said Klitch.
The program runs from October 5th to 9th at the Prince George Civic Centre. Registration information is available at the Canadian National Radon Training Centre website.