Variation of soil radon concentrations in southern Ontario

Radon has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking. Information on indoor radon concentrations is required to assess the lung cancer burden due to radon exposure. However, radon data in highly populated southern Ontario are very limited. Since radon in soil is believed to be the main source of radon in homes, measurements of soil gas radon concentrations can be used to estimate variations in radon potential of indoor environments. This study reports a transect survey of natural background variation in soil radon levels across southern Ontario. The results indicate that radon risk could be high in some areas of southern Ontario.