REPORT OF THE RADON WORKING GROUP ON A NEW RADON GUIDELINE FOR CANADA

Submitted to the

FEDERAL PROVINCIAL TERRITORIAL
RADIATION PROTECTION COMMITTEE

March 10, 2006

REV. 2006-03-10

Help on accessing alternative formats, such as PDF, MP3 and WAV files, can be obtained in the alternate format help section.

Select the icon to download a PDF version of the Radon Report.
	(296K)

Table of Contents

I PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

1. Radon Working Group Membership
2. Radon Working Group Secretariat
3. Recommended Radon Guideline
4. Points of Clarification
5. Rationale

1. INTRODUCTION

2. INTERNATIONAL APPROACHES TO SETTING RADON GUIDELINES

3. HEALTH-BASED ARGUMENTS FOR A LOWER GUIDELINE

1. Earlier evidence from the miner studies
2. Recent evidence from the combined analyses of residential radon studies
3. Individual risks
4. Population risks

4. RADON TESTING

1. Measurement techniques
2. Use of a radon potential map to guide testing

5. RADON MITIGATION

1. Pathways for radon entry into homes
2. Reducing radon levels in existing homes
3. Precautionary measures for new homes

6. COST ESTIMATE FOR A NATIONAL RADON PROGRAM

1. Radon testing and mitigation for existing homes
2. Radon testing and mitigation for schools
3. Radon testing and mitigation for hospitals
4. Radon testing and mitigation for federal buildings
5. New home construction with radon-resistant technologies
6. Annual cost estimate for the first 10 years
7. Annual cost estimate beyond the first 10 years
8. Conclusions

7. IMPLEMENTATION

1. Initiation of the new guideline value
2. Public education
3. Building an infrastructure for radon testing and mitigation
4. Testing of federal and other public buildings
5. Radon testing in real estate transactions
6. Financial support for homeowners

8. REFERENCES

APPENDICES

1. Radon Working Group Terms of Reference
2. Bradford Hill's nine criteria of causation
   

TABLES

• Table 2.0 Guidelines and rationale for radon in dwellings by country (Bq/m³)
• Table 3.4. Causes of death in Canada -- 1997
• Table 6.1. Cost estimate for existing houses
• Table 6.2. Cost estimate for schools
• Table 6.3. Cost estimate for hospitals
• Table 6.5. Annual additional cost for new home constructions with radon-resistant feature
• Table 6.6. Annual cost estimate for the first 10 years
  

• Figure 2.0. International guidelines for radon in existing and new dwellings
• Figure B1. Dose response relationship from Darby et al
• Figure B2. Dose response relationship from Krewski et al