Radioactive radon gas inhalation is a major cause of lung cancer worldwide and is a consequence of the built environment. The average radon level of properties built in a given period (their ‘innate radon risk’) varies over time and by region, although the underlying reasons for these differences are unclear. To investigate this, we analyzed long term radon tests and buildings from 25,489 Canadian to 38,596 Swedish residential properties constructed after 1945. While Canadian and Swedish properties built from 1970 to 1980s are comparable (96–103 Bq/m3), innate radon risks subsequently diverge, rising in Canada and falling in Sweden such that Canadian houses built in the 2010–2020s have 467% greater radon (131 Bq/m3) versus Swedish equivalents (28 Bq/m3). These trends are consistent across distinct building types, and regional subdivisions. The introduction of energy efficiency measures (such as heat recovery ventilation) within each nation’s build codes are independent of radon fluctuations over time. Deep learning-based models forecast that (without intervention) the average Canadian residential radon level will increase to 176 Bq/m3 by 2050. Provisions in the 2010 Canada Build Code have not significantly reduced innate radon risks, highlighting the urgency of novel code interventions to achieve systemic radon reduction and cancer prevention in Canada.
Background Radon is a high impact environmental pollutant and is the second leading cause of lung cancer in Canada. Building design, extended winter, and geographical location expose residents of Ottawa-Gatineau (the national capital region in Canada) to an increased risk. It is surprising that residents have an inadequate awareness of the risk - despite its gravity - and have taken minimum preventive actions. This study explores perceptions of radon health risk and examines the factors that enable and hinder the adoption of preventive measures among Ottawa-Gatineau residents. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 35 residents with varying educational and income levels to inquire about their knowledge and perception of radon, and to explore their views of enablers and obstacles to taking action to reduce radon risks. Thematic, inductive data analysis was undertaken. Results The results indicate that: 1) Residents obtained information on radon from various sources that include the media, their education or occupation, their social network, and home renovation events. Limited references were made to the National Radon Program responsible for testing for radon and informing residents. 2) Awareness of radon risk varied, and the knowledge retained by some residents is insufficient to adequately protect their health. 3) Enablers for taking protective action included: having an understanding of the risk along with health consciousness; caring for family and children; knowing others who had contracted lung cancer and having financial resources. Obstacles consisted of: lack of awareness; cost; lack of home ownership; and potential difficulty in selling the house. 4) Residents attributed primary responsibility to public agencies for disseminating information, and incentivizing or mandating action through more stringent regulation. Conclusion Risk perceptions are subjective, and are influenced by micro and macro level factors. Inducing protective action to reduce risk requires comprehensive interventions taking into account the dual cognitive and emotional aspects of risk perception. Future research may explore the dual aspects of risk perception and examine the contents of the risk communication message. Policy should address the responsibility of both governments and residents in tackling the issue. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7449-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Background Radon is the primary source of environmental radiation exposure posing a significant human health risk in cold countries. In Canada, most provinces have revised building codes by 2017, requiring construction solutions to avoid radon in all new buildings. While various construction solutions and remediation techniques have been proposed and evaluated, the question about the best method that would effectively reduce radon in a variety of contexts remained unanswered. Radon practitioners, officials of radon control programs, and businesses offering radon testing and mitigation services, builders, property managers, homeowners and residents also have similar queries. Objective This paper systematically reviewed both experimental and observational studies (S) with radon interventions (I) used globally in residential houses (P) compared to other residential or model houses (C) to evaluate relative mitigation effectiveness (O) that could guide selecting the best radon reduction strategy for residential buildings. Methods Two researchers searched fifteen academic bibliographic and grey literature databases for radon intervention studies conducted around the world, with particular emphasis on areas of North America and Europe published from 1990 to 2018. Interventions in residential and model houses were included, but studies piloted purely in the lab were excluded; the PRISMA checklist was used to synthesize data; Cochrane and Hamilton tools were used to evaluate study quality. Results Studies around the globe have investigated a variety of construction solutions, radon mitigation and remediation systems with different levels of effectiveness. In most cases, sub-slab or sump depressurization system (SSDS) with active ventilation technique was found more effective in achieving a significant and sustained radon reduction than the passive methods such as sealing, membrane, block and beam, simple ventilation, or filtration. The choice of an optimal strategy largely depends on the factors related to the initial radon level, routes of entry, building design and age, as well as other geologic, atmospheric, and climatic conditions. Conclusion Although an active SSDS is the best mitigation systems, at places, it needs to be combined with another system and installed by a trained radon professional considering the pertinent factors to ensure radon level continues to remain below the action level. This study did not conduct any economic evaluation of the mitigation measures. Future review with studies on the implementation of new building codes will provide updated evidence. Recommendation For the practical implementation of radon mitigation, training of the construction industry, information provision for residents, the establishment of public funds, incorporation of radon-prone areas in the land utilization maps, and enacting building codes deemed ...
Objectives Canadians have reason to care about indoor air quality as they spend over 90% of the time indoors. Although indoor radon causes more deaths than any other environmental hazard, only 55% of Canadians have heard of it, and of these, 6% have taken action. The gap between residents' risk awareness and adoption of actual protective behaviour presents a challenge to public health practitioners. Residents' perception of the risk should inform health communication that targets motivation for action. In Canada, research about the public perception of radon health risk is lacking. The aim of this study was to describe residents' perceptions of radon health risks and, applying a theoretical lens, evaluate how perceptions correlate with protection behaviours. Methods We conducted a mixed online and face-to-face survey (N = 557) with both homeowners and tenants in Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area. Descriptive, correlation, and regression analyses addressed the research questions. Results Compared to the gravity of the risk, public perception remained low. While 32% of residents expressed some concern about radon health risk, 12% of them tested and only 3% mitigated their homes for radon. Residents' perceptions of the probability and severity of the risk, social influence, care for children, and smoking in home correlated significantly with their intention to test; these factors also predicted their behaviours for testing and mitigation. Conclusion Health risk communication programs need to consider the affective aspects of risk perception in addition to rational cognition to improve protection behaviours. A qualitative study can explore the reasons behind the gap between testing and mitigation. Résumé Objectifs Les Canadiens ont de bonnes raisons de se préoccuper de la qualité de l'air intérieur, car ils passent plus de 90 % de leur temps à l'intérieur. Bien que le radon domiciliaire (RD) cause plus de décès que tout autre risques environnementaux, seulement 55 % des Canadiens en ont déjà entendu parler, et d'entre eux seulement 6 % ont pris des mesures concrètes pour l'éradiquer. L'écart entre la sensibilisation aux risques et la prise de mesures de protection réelles par les résidents constitue un défi pour les professionnels de la santé publique. La perception des résidents face aux risques associés au RD devrait guider la communication en matière de santé pour cibler la motivation. Au Canada, très peu d'études portant sur les perceptions de la population face aux risques associés au RD ont été réalisées. Le but de cette étude est de décrire les perceptions qu'entretiennent
Background Radon is a predominant indoor air pollutant and second leading cause of lung cancer in radon-prone areas. Despite the gravity of the health risk, residents in Canada have inadequate perception and taken minimal protective actions. Better perception of a risk motivates people to take preventive measures. Scholarship about radon health risk perception is lacking in Canada. We applied a mixed methods population health approach to explore the determinants shaping perception and actions of a resident population in Canada. Methods We conducted mixed surveys (n = 557) and qualitative bilingual interviews (n = 35) with both homeowners and tenants of Ottawa–Gatineau areas. The study explored residents' risk perception and adaptations factors. Descriptive, correlational and regression analyses described and established associations between quantitative variables. Thematic, inductive analyses identified themes in the qualitative data. A mixed methods analysis triangulated both results to draw a holistic perception of the health risk. Results Residents’ quantitative perceptions of radon health risk, smoking at home, synergistic risk perception, social influence and care for family were associated significantly with their intention to test for radon levels in their home, actual testing and mitigation. These results were explained further with the qualitative findings. Residents who had dual cognitive and emotional awareness of the risk were motivated enough to take preventive actions. Caring for family, knowing others who contracted lung cancer and financial capability were enablers, whereas lack of awareness and homeownership, cost of mitigation and stigma were obstacles to preventive actions. We also explored the dual subjective and objective aspects of risk perception that are influenced by micro- and macro-level determinants. Conclusions Inducing protective action to reduce risk requires comprehensive population-level interventions considering dual perceptions of the risk that can modify the risk determinants. Future research can explore the dual aspects of risk perception and unequal distribution of the risk factors.
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