Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. It enters homes through cracks in foundations and gaps around pipes, and in Canada many homes have radon levels at or above the recommended limit of 200 Bq/m³ (becquerels per cubic meter). There is no completely safe level of radon, but lower levels mean lower risk.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the safe level of radon inside a home should be about 100 Bq/m³ each year to help protect people’s health. If a country cannot reach this level, the radon level should not be higher than 300 Bq/m³. In Canada, Health Canada says that people should fix the problem if the average radon level in their home is higher than 200 Bq/m³ in the main living area.

Our investigation measured and compared radon levels in homes across different communities of Calgary. The average radon concentration among the tested homes was 160 Bq/m³, which is below Canada’s action level of 200 Bq/m³ but still represents a moderate health risk according to international recommendations.

Several homes with radon levels above 200 Bq/m³ had already installed mitigation systems to reduce exposure. However, one home was found to have a significantly elevated level of approximately 600 Bq/m³, demonstrating that dangerous concentrations can still occur and require urgent action. A second phase of our research using long-term (three-month) radon monitors is currently in progress. This stage requires additional time for monitoring, shipping detectors, and receiving laboratory results. Final data from the long-term testing will provide more accurate annual average radon levels and strengthen our conclusions.

The method to our research was interviewing professionals and reading numerous articles about radon and its impacts. We also wrote down information from workers who have deal with this problem before. The name of our project is YYC Radon Comparative Study. Meaning we are comparing radon levels throughout Calgary. Participants had a choice to use short-term (4 days) or long-term radon monitor (up to 3 months) . Random houses from NW, NE, SW, SE were chosen for different methods. To compere the data from the two different ways some houses took participation in a two ways, to get better information if the data is different from two different supplies. Also, we collected date in some houses in a different period of months to see how the data can be change.

Research Question

Does the level of radon differ in the four main areas of Calgary (Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast)? Which area has the highest radon level?

Radon is a radioactive gas that comes from the ground. It has no color, smell, or taste, which makes it impossible to detect without special equipment. Long-term exposure to high levels of radon can increase the risk of lung cancer. According to Health Canada, the recommended maximum level of radon in homes is 200 Bq/m³. Many homes in Calgary are known to have elevated radon levels. Because of this, we decided to investigate whether some areas of Calgary have higher radon levels than others. The purpose of our project was to compare radon levels in the four main areas of Calgary: Northwest, Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast. We wanted to determine if one area has a higher average radon level than the others. Our hypothesis was that radon levels would be different in different parts of the city, and that at least one area would show higher levels than the rest.

To conduct our research, we divided Calgary into four parts. Rushadat collected data from the houses in the Northwest and Southwest areas, and I collected data from houses in the Northeast and Southeast. We selected random houses on different streets in each area to ensure fair results.

We used two types of radon testing methods: short-term and long-term monitoring. The short-term test lasted four days. One day was used for collaboration and setting up the monitors, and three days were used for testing. For more accurate results, we also used long-term radon monitors that stayed in homes for two to three months. The radon test kits were ordered from Radonova. To ensure accurate and consistent results, all monitors were placed in the basement, 1.5 meters above the floor, in rooms without windows or positioned away from windows.

After collecting the data, we will compare the radon levels from each area. The results will allow us to determine whether there are differences between the four parts of the city. Our study will provide useful information to people living in Calgary and increase awareness about radon risks. By sharing our findings, we hope to encourage more families to test their homes and take action if radon levels are high.

In conclusion, this project investigates whether radon levels vary across different areas of Calgary. Through careful data collection and monitoring, we aim to identify which area has the highest levels and help inform the community about the importance of radon testing.

Monitoring Team – Short-Term Radon Assessment Period: Oct 19, 2025 – Mach 4, 2026 Data- is a an average result of 3 days investigation More results are coming  

Long Term Radon Monitors were send to the Lab on Feb 25, 2026 Results are coming

Our research showed that awareness about radon in Calgary varies significantly among homeowners. About one-third of the participants were not knowledgeable about the radon problem and had never tested their homes. Another third were already aware of the health risks, had tested their homes in the past, and installed mitigation systems if their radon levels were high. We also found that the average radon level among participating homes was close to 200 Bq/m³, which is the recommended action level in Canada. These results show that radon remains an important health concern and highlight the need for continued education, testing, and mitigation to protect families from long-term exposure. Our research demonstrated that radon levels in residential properties do not depend strictly on geographic area (such as Northwest or Southeast Calgary). Instead, radon concentrations varied significantly between individual communities, between neighboring houses, and even within the same area. We also observed that radon levels can change over different periods of investigation. This variation may be influenced by seasonal changes, ventilation, building structure, and soil conditions. These findings highlight that radon risk cannot be predicted based solely on location, and therefore every home should be individually tested to ensure safety. Our investigation showed that simply opening basement windows in winter does not effectively reduce radon levels. Cold outside air prevents the warmer, radon-containing air from escaping due to pressure differences, so ventilation alone cannot reliably lower radon concentrations. The most effective way to reduce radon in homes is to install a professional mitigation system, which can safely lower radon levels to well below Health Canada’s recommended action level.

RadonCare: Andrew Arshinoff Go To Radon Company Ltd. Gary W. Burke Columbia College, Calgary, EAL7 Students

Participants for long-term radon investigation (3 months) 103 836 563 SW Fidan Sagiyeva 103 027 769 SW Lev Makeev 104 119 151 SW Fidan 100 365 352 SW Lala 101 322 543 SW Svetlana Munro 107 442 949 SW Gane Galtsova 107 398 554 SW Rugiya 103 266 292 SW Irina Makeeva 105 826 317 SW Natasha Mychaluk 106 109 101 SW Olga 105 379 192 SW Kristina 103 257 838 SW Svetlana 106 703 515 SW Ludmila 104 617 071 SW Leonid

100 777 689 SE Rvgeniya Polulych 106 523 137 SE Aynura 104 650 635 SE Shauna 100 352 673 SE Leyla 100 748 730 SE Kelly 102 684 206 SE Inna 105 081 269 SE Nadya Zubko 105 448 922 SE Ronda Brother 105 395 982 SE Greg 102 209 681 SE Aselya Dnko 104 156 732 SE Iryna 101 289 858 SE Ilya Krasnikov 107 219 610 SE Ronda's Mom

105 947 584 NW Julia 104 642 327 NW Chinelo 100 738 848 NW Marina 101 162 238 NW Fidan Musayeva 105 771 877 NW James 103 613 626 NW Fidan

106 702 350 NE Saddle Ridge 107 309 221 NE Khadidjeh 104 650 957 NE Tarington 106 331 283 NE Saddle Ridge Svetlana Ram 102 307 170 NE James

Participants for short-term radon investigation (4 days) SW: Andriy Roshchenko Iryna Magas Lev Makeev Fidan Alieva Irina Makeeva Coleen Nataliay Imshenetskaya Anna Pushkar Sitora Masharipov Dragica Jeff

SE: Inesa Novak Marina Losev Tatyana Bezuglaya Marina Fedorov Oksana Meheruk Krasnikov Ilya

NE: Allan Vidulov Chris Marshal

NW: Sandi Kaiser Lara Mia

I would like to thank Rаshadat for collaborating on this project and helping collect data in the Northwest and Southwest areas of Calgary. I am grateful to the homeowners who allowed us to place radon monitors in their basements. I also thank our parents for their guidance and support. Thanks for help and dedication: RadonCare: Andrew Arshinoff, CRMT#201792, Director/Mitigation Lead, Board of Directors, Canadian Association of Radon Scientists & Technologists & C-NRPP Policy Advisory Board and Liaison and Go To Radon Company Ltd. Gary W. Burke – 403-463-7555 Finally, I acknowledge Radonova for providing the radon testing kits and Health Canada for publishing radon safety recommendations.