Indoor Radon Characteristics in Canadian Arctic Regions
- DOI
- Language of the publication
- English
- Date
- 2014-12-29
- Type
- Article
- Author(s)
- Chen, Jing
- Publisher
- Canadian Center of Science and Education (CCSE)
Abstract
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas generated by the decay of uranium bearing minerals in rocks and soils. Exposure to indoor radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. In an indoor environment, there are many factors affecting indoor radon concentrations. Those factors could be different in the Arctic regions than the rest of Canada. Based on the results from recently completed Canadian residential radon survey, this technical note assessed indoor radon characteristics and associated radiation doses in Canadian Arctic regions and compared them to the average radon characteristics in Canada. In Arctic health regions the percentage of homes above 200 Bq/m3 varied from 0% in Nunavut to 19.6% in Yukon Territory. On average, indoor radon characteristics in the Canadian Arctic regions are similar to the overall indoor radon characteristics in Canada. Although there are no significant differences in indoor radon exposure between the Canadian Arctic and rest of Canada, the average lung cancer incidence rate in the Arctic health regions is a factor of 1.6 higher than the national average lung cancer rate. The higher lung cancer rate in Canadian Arctic is likely due to the higher smoking rate in the northern communities.
Plain language summary
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas generated by the decay of uranium bearing minerals in rocks and soils. Exposure to indoor radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. In an indoor environment, radon concentration is found to be influenced by the type of rock underlying the dwelling, house type and structure, building materials used in the construction, window opening habits, and other environmental factors including local weather conditions. The factors affecting indoor radon concentrations can be different in the Arctic regions than the rest of Canada. With the results of the Health Canada residential radon survey, one can take a closer look at indoor radon exposure in Canadian Arctic regions and make comparisons to the average radon characteristics in Canada. The current analysis showed that, on average, indoor radon characteristics in the northern regions appeared to agree very well with the overall indoor radon characteristics in Canada. As expected, the average radon concentrations and percentages of homes above 200 Bq/m3 vary widely. Among the five health regions in the Canadian north, indoor radon exposure is the lowest in Nunavut and the highest in Yukon Territory. Although there are no significant differences in indoor radon exposure between the Canadian north and south, lung cancer incidence rate in the northern health regions is, on average, a factor of 2 higher than the national lung cancer rate. The high lung cancer rate in Canadian arctic region is likely due to the high smoking rate in the northern communities. Evidence from epidemiological studies indicate that radon exposure and tobacco smoking may have a synergistic relationship (WHO 2009). Either tobacco smoking or indoor radon exposure can independently increase the risk of developing lung cancer. However, exposure to both greatly enhances that risk. Due to the high smoking rate in the northern communities, radon awareness and protective actions to reduce indoor radon exposure should be one important component of any health programs in the arctic region.
Subject
- Health,
- Health and safety