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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Measuring Fluxes of Mineral Nutrients and Toxicants in Plants with Radioactive Tracers

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Published on: August 22, 2014

Radon emanation in Saskatchewan soils.

Patricia A Thomas¹, Darwin W Anderson, Weihua Zhang

¹Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

|October 19, 2011

Summary

High clay content in Saskatchewan soils increases indoor radon risk. Homes on these soils, especially when dry, may exceed Health Canada

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Geochemistry
Public Health

Background:

Many homes in central Canada's Saskatchewan prairie region exceed the Health Canada indoor radon guideline (200 Bq m⁻³).
Radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas that can accumulate indoors, posing a health risk.
Soil properties significantly influence radon gas (Rn) generation and migration.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between soil characteristics and indoor radon (Rn) levels in Saskatchewan.
To identify soil types and conditions that contribute to elevated radon (Rn) concentrations.

Main Methods:

Collected 32 soil samples from 11 sites in Saskatchewan, varying in clay content and bedrock presence.
Analyzed soils for uranium (U), radium (Ra), and radon (Rn) concentrations, alongside physical properties (bulk density, moisture, particle size).

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Measured radon (Rn) emanation rates from soil samples.

Main Results:

Radon (Rn) emanation rates ranged from 10% to 43%, significantly increasing with higher clay content.
Soil gas radon (Rn) concentrations measured between 18-38 kBq m⁻³.
One coal bedrock sample showed exceptionally high uranium (U) and radium (Ra) activity, with radon (Rn) emanation up to 1,363 kBq m⁻³.

Conclusions:

Soils with high clay content pose a greater risk for elevated indoor radon (Rn) levels in homes.
Dry, cracked soils enhance permeability, facilitating radon (Rn) gas migration into homes.
Specific geological formations, like the analyzed coal bedrock, can be significant localized radon (Rn) sources.