The Castlegar and District Public Library is offering free radon detectors to local residents.
The Donna Schmidt Lung Cancer Prevention Society (DSLCPS) donated 10 electronic radon detectors to the library, which can be checked out for up to six weeks, but only require three to 10 days of exposure to give a reading.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and Castlegar has one of the highest concentrations of it in the province.
RELATED: More than half of tested homes in Castlegar exceed radon threshold
Radon is colourless, odourless and tasteless, so the only way to know if it is present is to test for it.
Now is a good time to take advantage of the opportunity, as air exchange rates in homes are reduced once windows and doors are closed up for the cold weather.
RELATED: Time to test your home for radon gas
When patrons borrow a radon detector, they are also given a complementary long-term radon test kit.
RELATED:Reducing radon exposure a personal quest
“Radon gas exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer following smoking and may cause over 300 deaths in British Columbia from this disease each year, similar to the number of deaths from automobile accidents,” according to the DSLCPS.
Castlegar librarian Kimberly Partanen says the program is off to a good start with four of the detectors checked out in the first weeks.
