How Radon Levels Fluctuate Between Seasons and What it Means for Testing

Posted in Radon Testing, on January 17, 2025

Radon testing can happen at any time of year, but levels can fluctuate throughout the year because of various factors. If you’re wondering what that means for radon tests you’ve done in the past, the SafeAir team can help! Regular monitoring or repeated radon and air quality testing can help rule out false results and alert you to changes that may increase your exposure to radon gas. There are many reasons why radon levels may change in your home, and prevention should be a serious concern for all homeowners. 

Understanding Radon and Its Health Risks

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can enter your home through the ground or well water.  Radon has no smell, taste, or visual effects, making it impossible to detect without professional testing, and its radioactive nature has serious long-term effects on human health. Radon particles irritate the lungs and respiratory system, causing cellular changes that lead to cancer; in fact, after tobacco smoke, radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in Canadians. 

Radon is prevalent in the earth throughout the GTA, but exposure levels can vary from house to house, even in neighbourhoods more commonly affected. Radon tends to collect in basements, where the pressure created by having a below-grade space can pull radon from the surrounding soil. Radon gets in through windows, cracks in the foundation, sump pumps, wells, and other sources.

Why Radon Levels Fluctuate Between Seasons

There are many unique reasons why radon gas fluctuates between the seasons, and several of them will be due to your home’s size, construction, and condition. However, when it comes to seasonal change, the two main factors that affect radon are changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure. 

For example, during the winter, our homes are tightly sealed to retain warmth, but this can increase radon exposure by trapping it inside. In the summer, as air circulation, temperature, and humidity patterns change, this effect may dissipate — or vice versa. 

Soil conditions and precipitation may also impact radon levels. Radon comes from deep underground, and as the ground’s ability to release radon is affected by temperature and moisture, indoor levels may change rapidly. 

The Importance of Having Regular Radon Testing

There is no safe level of exposure to radon gas. In the short-term, it’s unlikely you’ll experience any health effects. By the time you are experiencing things like shortness of breath or coughing, it’s usually too late. This is why we recommend everyone test their home for radon gas to determine their risks. 

At SafeAir, we offer radon testing as part of our regular air quality testing or as a stand-alone service. We use a long-term radon testing protocol that lasts 3-6 months; this increased time frame helps to even out seasonable variations to ensure we’re getting as accurate a result as possible. Testing for radon is also valuable if you are welcoming in a new family member, have a basement rental unit, or are planning on selling your home. 

Best Practices for Radon Testing

Considering the many variables that affect radon, such as location, age, season, temperature, and weather events, SafeAir has a few best practices when it comes to radon testing:

• Choose a Long-Term Test: Many municipalities are now offering free radon testing kits, but they often provide short-term tests. While these can be valuable, the margin for error is much higher. 
• Use a Professional: Installing the testing device, which resembles a fire alarm, does require care and knowledge of airflow and radon. Many false positives originate from improper device placement. 
• Choose a Reputable Company: At SafeAir, we use a third-party lab to process testing data. This ensures our results are impartial and trustworthy. 

How SafeAir Helps Ensure Your Home is Safe from Radon

An odourless, colourless villain is not what we want to imagine lurking in our homes. But the good news is that radon testing gives you easy-to-understand reports and actionable insights that you can use to eliminate or mitigate your risk. Radon gas is a worrisome problem, but it can often be solved with straightforward repairs or adjustments. 

Radon testing is a valuable tool in improving air quality at home. While the weather may shift or cause levels to fluctuate, regular testing can help you understand your baseline levels and let you make changes to improve safety and comfort. Contact SafeAir today for expert radon testing and advice!

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