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Archive for the ‘Radon Testing’ Category
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
A bill that’s currently before the provincial legislature is designed to raise awareness about radon gas – the invisible danger that occurs naturally.
Radon Gas
Radon gas is a by-product of the decaying process of uranium, and is produced even where small amounts of uranium are present in the ground. It can enter your home via cracks in the earth and the foundation, among others, and accumulate, particularly in today’s tightly enclosed buildings or poorly ventilated areas like a crawl space.
Radon exposure has been linked to high incidences of lung cancer, and it is considered a significant threat to indoor air quality and public health worldwide. Health Canada estimates that 1,900 cancer deaths were due to radon exposure annually (2006 figures) and lists it as the second only to smoking as the leading cause of lung cancer.
It’s odourless, colourless and radioactive, and you may not be aware of it until you begin to feel the symptoms of exposure such as persistent coughing or headaches, by which time damage to your lungs has already begun.
Bill 182
Among other things, the Act proposed under Bill 182 calls for setting up a registry to include all radon gas testing results across the province. It also looks to institute a public health campaign across multiple media platforms to educate people on the deadly gas, its risks and symptoms, as well as encourage all homeowners to test their own homes for the dangerous gas. It sets the ceiling for acceptable levels at 200 Bq/m3 per year for provincially owned buildings, and provides for stiff fines and even imprisonment for failure to act on unacceptably high readings.
Bill 182 is currently being studied further, having been referred to the Standing Committee on Social Policy. Even before its completion, however, it underscores how seriously our governments are taking this hidden threat to indoor air quality and human health.
It’s the ideal season
Now, during the winter months when windows remain largely shut and our homes are more tightly shut, is the ideal time test for radon gas. At Environmental Services Group, we can http://www.environmentalservicesgroup.ca/radon.php offer radon gas testing tailored to your needs. Let us give you peace of mind – call the Environmental Services Group for a quote.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in indoor air quality and radon gas testing, remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: indoor air quality, Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto, radon risks, Radon testing, Radon Testing Toronto Ontario
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Indoor Airy Quality Testing, News, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Monday, October 24th, 2011
Indoor air quality is increasingly coming to the forefront of discussions on the effects of environment on human health. Consider the role of radon.
Radon is a colourless and odourless gas that’s completely undetectable to human senses. It can be produced by the environment surrounding your home, or even by certain products and materials inside the house. It’s also estimated to be the cause of about 10% of all lung cancers, and is considered the second highest source of the disease. To top off the alarming news, radon almost certainly already exists in your home.
So what can you do about it? Education and information are your keys, along with radon testing & inspections performed by the experts.
What is Radon?
Radon is a gas that is produced naturally during the decaying process of uranium. There are traces of uranium all over the globe in a wide range of areas, and it can exist in the underlying rock bed in varying concentrations. It may also be present in small amounts in some building materials, including concrete, bricks, tiles and gyproc. Your granite countertop may contain trace amounts of uranium. As time goes by, it begins to decay and break down, producing compounds that humans and animals may inhale.
Radon seeps into your home through any cracks that may exist, and particularly where the house has contact with the soil, including basements and foundations, the joints of gas and water connections, and other areas.
Some areas may be more prone to radon gas exposure than others, including:
- Areas where the rock bed is uranium-rich
- Hills or slopes
- Areas where the ground forms deep cracks during dry weather
- Very permeable soils
- Areas with underground limestone caverns
Radon is present virtually everywhere on the earth, however, and it’s not possible to tell if your home is prone simply by assessing the area. You’ll need actual radon inspection & testing to know for sure.
How can I minimize the risk of Radon contamination?
Outside, randomly occurring radon gas is typically quickly diluted and made harmless by the natural passage of air. Inside the home, poor ventilation is the main cause for radon gas to collect and concentrate to dangerous levels. Ensuring proper ventilation is your first and most important step.
Here are some other tips:
- Help to reduce emissions from the ground up by sealing and caulking any cracks, holes and fissures in your basement floor and walls
- Paint your basement floor with two coats of paint and a sealer – unfinished floors are at risk of radon gas seeping in
- Increase ventilation by simply opening windows and allowing air to circulate
Radon Inspection & Testing
Radon levels can vary even in the same location depending on the season, climate, and HVAC systems you use. At Environmental Services Group, we recommend that you test during the cooler months of the year – from October to April – and Health Canada recommends that testing continue for a three month period. We strongly suggest you include radon testing in your pre-purchase home inspection.
You’ll never know if there’s a radon problem in your house unless you take the test.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in identifying and remedying environmental hazards such as radon gas, mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Radon: A Guide for Canadian Homeowners (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation)
Health Canada Radon Fact Sheet
Tags: Environmental Consultants in Toronto Ontario, Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto Ontario, radon risks, Radon testing, Radon Testing Toronto Ontario
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
The U.S. Center for Disease Control and the Environmental Protection Agency recently stated that homeowners should commission professional cleaning companies to tackle mold-damaged areas in homes affected by disasters like flooding.
While the principle behind the suggestion is smart – homeowners aren’t educated about mold and should hire experts to take care of it – the cleaning-company idea is a dangerous one.
If moisture in your damaged home has fostered toxic mold growth and damaged your indoor air quality, it’s absolutely smart to get a cleaning done. But the key is to have an actual expert to the job.
An environmental consulting firm won’t just clean out mold for you. Its experts understand what mechanisms cause mold growth in the first place and how to avoid accidentally spreading spores during a cleanup. An expert cleanup doesn’t simply wipe away the mold; it eliminates it and disposes of it in a way that ensures it won’t return.
A cleaning company may do a fine job on the surface but it may also make some uneducated choices, such as using bleach to fight mold. A certified environmental expert, on the other hand, would know that the bleach method is a myth, and that bleach doesn’t not kill mold entirely.
It’s not that a thorough cleaning after a natural disaster isn’t a good idea; anything that removes moisture and/or debris from your home is helpful. However, if you do decide to hire a cleaning company, consider also hiring an environmental consulting company to finish the job. The real experts will eliminate mold and check for other environmental threats like lead, radon and asbestos.
Cleaning companies may save you backbreaking labor but, in most cases, they don’t know anything more about mold than you do!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Environmental consulting, indoor air quality, Radon testing
Posted in Environmental consulting, Indoor Air Quality, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Friday, August 12th, 2011
There are few worse feelings than slogging through your workday in an unbreathable indoor work environment. As we’ve previously stated on the ESG blog, indoor air quality has a direct impact on workplace productivity. What are some ways to improve your breathing conditions while you work?
Minimize your controllable pollutants
The little things add up and we can often control them ourselves. Try to purchase and use “green” or natural cleaning products to release fewer chemicals into your office atmosphere. Disposing of garbage quickly, storing food in the proper places and ensuring your doormats don’t trap too much dirt from outside will add up to make a solid impact on your indoor air quality.
Be aware of ventilation points when arranging furniture
An easy way to get your employees breathing polluted, stale air: accidentally covering your vents with desks, tables, chairs and so on. You can waste a perfectly good ail filtration or ventilation system if you don’t keep it exposed and let it do its job.
Maintain active communication with maintenance staff
Keeping in touch and in harmony with your custodial or maintenance staff can go a long way. If they’re in tune with you, they’ll do a better job of regularly checking and cleaning all major ventilation areas.
Hire outside help to give your workplace a clean sweep
To really give your workplace A+ indoor air quality, contract an environmental consulting firm to do an expert assessment and major sweep of your building. They’ll identify any ventilation hindrances and go above and beyond what custodial staff can do, including mold, asbestos, radon and lead testing. Scheduling this type of maintenance will also get your employees out of the building to breathe fresher air for a little while.
During the hot, sticky summer, building maintenance is especially important for your indoor air! Follow those tips and you – plus your employees – won’t be sorry.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: indoor air quality, indoor air quality in the workplace, Lead testing, mold testing, Radon testing
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011
Study: indoor air cleaners can reduce asthma in children
In the summer months, we’re particularly sensitive about any threats to our indoor air quality, including mold caused by excessive moisture or contaminated air as a result of sealing a home for air conditioning.
But what about some positive news for a change? A recent study by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center suggests that indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce air pollution in the home and significantly lower the rates of daytime asthmas symptoms – even to the same level that anti-inflammatory asthma drugs can.
The study was done by plugging free-standing air cleaners into 41 different Baltimore-based households for six months. While the findings are encouraging, they still suggest that the air cleaners are most effective if used in conjunction with other environmental protection measures.
The air cleaners didn’t reduce the effects of agents such as second-hand smoke. By the same logic, an indoor air cleaner’s effectiveness could be reduced by the presence of mold, asbestos, lead, radon or other environmental threats.
The study should serve as an extra motivator to have an environmental consulting firm sweep your home. If you install an indoor air cleaner and undergo mold removal, lead testing and so on, you could have the cleanest home — and the healthiest family – on your block! Taking the proper diligence to have the experts inspect every threat to your indoor air quality will ensure that your indoor air cleaners will be as effective as possible.
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: asbestos removal, indoor air quality, Lead testing, mold removal, Radon testing
Posted in Asbestos, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
As we’ve discussed on this environmental consulting blog before, indoor air quality becomes a prominent concern in the warm months, particularly when we seal off our windows and crevices to improve our air conditioners’ effectiveness.
Here are a few easy steps to remember this summer that can help improve your indoor air quality:
1. Radon testing. Radon has emerged as a silent indoor killer. It’s a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that seeps into homes through cracks in the foundation. How deadly is radon? It is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Hiring experts to test your home for radon is a worthy investment, as the consequences of ignoring it are life-and-death.
2. Watch out for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Volatile (or toxic) organic compounds occur all over our homes. They could be in paint, adhesives, pesticides, detergents, cosmetics and more. Even the vinyl in a shower curtain can quality as a VOC. Sealing the VOCs away doesn’t necessarily mean you’re safe, as the compounds can leak from sealed containers. Your better bet is to use natural products whenever possible. If you have to paint, do so with your windows open. When getting rid of volatile organic compounds, it’s a smart idea to hire a hazardous waste disposal company to do the job safely and in a way that won’t harm the environment.
3. Introduce more plant life into your home. Read up on particular house plants that are easy to maintain and don’t easily die. The more plant life you have in your home, the more oxygen they’ll give off and the more they’ll filter the air for you.
Follow these steps and your indoor air quality will be the best on your block!
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation. You’ll be glad you did!
Tags: Indoor Air Quality Testing Toronto, radon risks, Radon testing
Posted in Indoor Air Quality, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Contrary to what many businesses believe, it may actually “pay to go green.”
A recent poll conducted by TD Bank revealed that consumers believe green or environmentally friendly buildings have at least some positive impact on their communities. Being green for a building could mean being constructed or renovated using sustainable materials; it could also mean being properly inspected for potentially harmful agents.
How can a building ensure it’s as environmentally friendly as possible if it’s already built and no renovations are the horizon? Finding a good environmental consulting firm is a start. The proper experts can help a building with lead testing, asbestos and mold removal, radon testing and countless other ways of measuring how much risk to residents’ health and to the environment a given building poses.
The survey also revealed a generation gap among the responders. The younger groups – the “millenials” aged 18 to 34 – were the most aware of green buildings and the most likely to tailor their consumption based on whether or not a company’s venue is environmentally conscious. In other words, the biggest consumers of the future are the most environmentally aware.
The survey’s revelation suggests a win-win situation for businesses and consumers. By undergoing proper environmental consulting and inspection for their buildings, businesses obviously reduce their company’s environmental footprints and make their buildings safer places to work, shop and breathe. But the simple act of becoming greener can also be profitable. The upcoming younger generation wants to give its business to the greenest companies.
Now, it’s up to businesss in Toronto, the GTA and all over the world to take the next step. Ensure your company’s buildings have the highest standards for indoor air quality and environmental friendliness and the customers will follow you. The next step is to let the world know you’re doing it.
Jacquelynn Henke, Real Estate Strategy Officer for TD Bank, says it best:
“Consumers do believe [green] buildings are good for the environment and for their own health, but businesses must do a better job of communicating to their customers and the communities they serve about the development of environmentally friendly buildings.”
Environmental Services Group is a cutting edge environmental consulting firm based in Toronto and servicing both Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. We provide state-of-the-art, industry-leading expertise in remedying environmental hazards such as mold, lead, asbestos and much more. Call 416-575-6111 or visit our website today for a pressure-free initial consultation.
Tags: Asbestos Removal Toronto, Environmental Consultants in Toronto Ontario, green buildings, mold removal
Posted in Asbestos, Indoor Air Quality, Lead Testing, Mold Removal, Radon Testing | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
Health Canada is pleading with Canadian homeowners to have their homes tested for radon as soon as possible while the organization reviews the mid-way point results of its Government of Canada Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations of Homes.
At just the end of last year, Canada’s Minister of Health, Leona Aglukkaq, released a statement to the press implying that at the end of their first year of conducting the survey, it had become apparent that many Canadians are in danger from excessive radon levels in their homes. The number of homes across Canada with unsafe radon levels is 7% so far, which is much higher than the government had originally predicted. “You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it,” she said in the release, “the only way to know if you have a radon problem is to test your home.”
Radon is a byproduct of uranium breaking down in the soil. It is a radioactive gas and is also the second-highest cause of lung cancer in Canada behind smoking. Levels across Canada are different depending on the soil makeup of the area in question: Ontario, the Yukon Territory and Nova Scotia tend to have higher numbers of homes with unsafe levels of radon, but there are small patches of dangerous areas all over the country.
Unsafe levels of radon are those above 200 becquerels/metre3, which is the governments’ ‘safe’ level. Some experts however, argue that there is really no safe radon level and if any radon is found in a home it should be taken care of immediately.
Repairs to radon problems usually involve sealing up cracks in a home’s foundation or well-water openings, because radon tends to creep up into a home through the soil into the basement and lower levels. The Government of Canada Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations of Homes is a two-year survey of 18,000 homes that will be finished this year.
Should you suspect the presence of radon in your home or business, contact EnvironmentalServicesGroup.ca – The Greater Toronto Area’s (GTA) radon inspection professionals – at (416) 575-6111
Radon Inspections in the GTA: Mississuaga, Vaughan, Ajax, Barrie, Beaverton, Bowmanville, Bracebridge, Brantford, Burlington, Caledon, Cambridge, Cobourg, Collingwood, Georgetown Guelph, Hamilton, Keswick, Kitchener, Lindsay, London , Markham, Milton, Mississauga, Muskoka, Newmarket, Niagara Falls, North York, Oakville, Orangeville, Oshawa, Owen Sound, Peterborough, Pickering, Port Carling, Port Hope, Richmond Hill, Severn Bridge, Sarnia , Simcoe, Southwest Ontario , St Catharines, Thornhill, Toronto, Vaughan, Waterdown, Waterloo, Whitby and Windsor Ontario.
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Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Mould and asbestos tend to hog the media spotlight when it comes to indoor air quality, but a third deadly indoor air pollutant is even more difficult for homeowners to detect and is impossible to see.
Radon is an invisible, odourless, radioactive gas that is found in outside air. It’s a byproduct of uranium that’s constantly breaking down in soil, the levels of which differ across the country. Some areas of Ontario and Nova Scotia have the highest concentrations of soil-based uranium in Canada. While radon does exist in the outdoor environment, these tiny amounts are relatively harmless. However, when radon creeps up into homes through cracks or holes in foundation and openings for water wells, it becomes trapped in the smaller space and can build up to dangerous levels.
Radon is a major cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, but the majority of radon-related lung cancer deaths occur in smokers. The inhalation of the radioactive radon particles is what causes lung cancer, and radon testing is the only way to determine the level of radon within a home or building.
The Ontario Lung Association recommends having your home tested for radon to see if your family is at risk. Health Canada considers 200 Bq/m3 the acceptable cut-off rate for radon levels within a home. If it’s above this level, steps should be taken to seal off any cracks or openings where radon may be able to get into a home, as well as increasing the ventilation in these areas.
The lower the amount of radon, the lower the risk to your health. Because of this, Health Canada still recommends reducing the radon level if the level found in a home is less than 200 Bq/m3 .
Should you suspect the presence of radon in your home or place of work, contact Environmental Services Group for a friendly and pressure-free phone or on-site consultation at (416) 575.6111 . We can help.
Radon Testing in Toronto, Acton, Ajax, Barrie, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Etobicoke, Georgetown, Halton Hills, Kitchener, Markham, Milton, Mississauga, North York, Oakville, Richmond Hill, Peel Region, Scarborough, Thornhill, Vaughan, Waterloo, Whitby, York Region Ontario.
Tags: Radon Testing Toronto Ontario
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