Radon Screening Kits

Radon kit booklet and radon monitor
Learn about Radon Screening kits that are available to check out for short-term testing from the Manitoba Lung Association.

What is Radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas found naturally in the environment. Once released into the air, radon breaks down into radioactive elements that can attach to dust and other substances in the air we breathe. It has no colour, no odour and no taste.

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking. The only way to know if your home has radon is to test for it.

Health Canada recommends every home should be tested, no matter where it is located, the type of building, or if it already has a mitigation system. Radon can vary widely between homes, even in homes in the same building, or buildings on the same street. Radon can be found in all levels of a home.

Radon levels are measured in becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3) in Canada. Health Canada’s radon action guideline is anything above 200 Bq/m3.

Please refer to the booklet that is with the kit or visit the Manitoba Lung Association Website.

Borrowing a Radon Screening Kit

The Radon Screening Kits at Winnipeg Public Library include:

  • A consumer-grade electronic radon monitor
  • An information booklet provided by the Manitoba Lung Association.

The kits have a three-week loan period with no renewals. Kits are available to borrow between November 1 and April 30 each year. In the summer, people often leave windows and doors in their homes open, creating a less accurate radon reading. Radon Screening Kits are not available to borrow between May 1 and October 31. The Radon Screening kits can be found in our catalog.

The radon screening devices are intended for short-term testing and do not replace the long-term tests recommended by Health Canada

 

Radon Reduction Guide for Canadians

Please refer to the booklet that is with the kit or visit the Manitoba Lung Association Website.

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