History of High Radon Levels

Located in north central Ontario, Elliot Lake, once known as the Uranium Capital of the World is the home of Algoma Radon Testing. In the mid nineteen-seventies Elliot Lake became the first city in Canada to address high radon levels in homes and buildings.

During this period of time (1976-1979), Federal, Provincial and Municipal governments, as well as radiation consulting firms and the uranium mining industry, co-operated as a team to engineer mitigation techniques for solving high radon levels. As a result of this team effort, several methods of radon removal were initiated. After months of continuous radon monitoring in a special engineered test house, the most dependable and reliable system proven for the removal of radon from basements was the Sub-slab Depressurization System, using a mechanical fan to assist in gas removal. The ability of the fan to create a vacuum under the concrete floor enabled the radon as well as other soil gases to be removed and exhausted to the outside of the building. There were also several other methods of radon gas removal systems that were tested and are addressed under the section on radon mitigation.

Radon Fact