Residents throughout the Thompson-Nicola Regional District now have the tools available to them to test for radon in their homes, thanks to a program through local libraries.
All library facilities within the TNRD have made radon detector kits available to borrow to test for the dangerous radioactive gas that is known to be present in the soil throughout the region.
“Radon is created when uranium breaks down into soil and rock,” a press release from the TNRD reads. “It is invisible, odourless and tasteless, and can accumulate in enclose spaces. According to Health Canada, radon is the number-one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.”
Library facilities have made Crentium Home digital radon detector kits available to any Thompson-Nicola Regional Library patron in good standing. The kits can be loaned for a period of seven days, due to high demand.
The devices are equiped with instructions to activate the detector. Residents should leave the device in one spot of the lowest level of the home and after a few days, take note of the radon levels. The device should be reset after use and before returning to the TNRL to protect your privacy.
The devices will not be available to borrow from May 1 to Aug. 31 each year. This is because radon levels tend to be lower during the summer months as people leave their windows and doors open, which allows radon to safely dissipate into the atmosphere.
“WE encourage all residents of the Thompson-Nicola region to visit their local library and the TNRL website, and learn about products available to them,” TNRL chief librarian Judy Moore said in a press release, noting the radon detector kit is one of many various detectors and kits that can be borrowed for free by TNRL patrons.
For more information on the radon kit program, visit: tnrl.ca/explore/devices-and-book-kits/
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