AN EARLY LOOK INTO THE 2024 CROSS CANADA RADON REPORT: A symmetric, balanced understanding of Canadian residential housing radioactive radon gas exposure
Dr. Aaron A. Goodarzi | Robson DNA Science Centre, University of CalgaryRiver Cree Ballroom 1
Over the past five years, and in collaboration with multiple partner teams, the Evict Radon National Study teams from across Canada have integrated almost100,000 long term residential radon gas readings with housing, regional community, and population information from the 2021Canada Census to establish a clear, symmetric understanding of Canadian radon exposure within the residential built environment. With essential funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Healthy Cities program, our teams have integrated pan-Canadian cohort of long-term residential radon test outcomes to detailed property and human demographic data. Using this, we have normalized all findings to the key administrative human and housing statistics assembled by Statistics Canada in the most recent (2021) census to produce an appropriately weighted understanding of radon exposure across Canada. The resulting Canadian residential radon data are now “symmetric” (meaning that they are fully balanced to the reality of Canada in the 2020s)by region, diverse communities (urban to rural),and residential building design types. We have used this data to derive population-attributable risk of lung cancer from radon (by region and other factors), as well as to understand and build tools to assess the impact of the built environment, behaviour, and demographics on personalized risk alpha radiation exposure (to the lungs) from radon. The outcome(s)of this work forms the basis of the once-per-decade Cross Canada Radon Report being produced in close collaboration with Health Canada and other public health agencies. The report will help inform physical, social and policy interventions required to mitigate lung cancer risks attributable to radon inhalation in Canada. During my talk, I will provide the Canadian radiological protection community an early look into the content of this report, which is slated for release in Fall 2024, outlining how it will be presented for the general public with anticipated timelines.