Radon levels high in Fredericton's Gibson-Neill school

High levels of radon have been detected in a Fredericton school that opened less than three years ago.

Parents of students at Gibson-Neill Memorial Elementary school were informed of the finding by an official with Anglophone West School District in a letter dated Monday.

"A recent test for levels of radon in the classroom and work areas of Gibson-Neill Memorial Elementary School revealed the presence of radon gas above the recommended value set by Health Canada," stated Shawn Tracey, the district's director of finance and administration.

"Health Canada and Public Health in New Brunswick has assured us that there is no immediate health risk to students or staff."

In June 2007, Health Canada lowered the exposure guide for radon gas in indoor air to 200 Becquerels per cubic metre. The previous level was 800 Bq/m3.

The highest level recorded in the school was 348 Bq/m3. High levels were detected in 23 of the school's rooms.

The district says continuous exposure to 200 Bq/m3 of radon every day for 70 years would results in a 2 per cent increased risk of developing lung cancer. The increased risk climbs to 17 per cent if the person is a smoker.

There is no immediate health risk to students or staff.- Shawn Tracey, director of finance and administration

Education department staff are working on a mitigation plan for the areas in the school that tested above the limit.

Tracey said the school "was constructed with radon mitigation in mind so it involved uncapping the vents and looking at whether installation of fans are necessary."

Tracey said the district has one other school — Central New Brunswick Academy in New Bandon — with radon test results that require further investigation.

All new schools built in New Brunswick are constructed with radon mitigation systems, said Leah Fitzgerald of the education department. Schools are tested within two or three years to determine if the mitigation system needs to be activated.

"The building must be operating, and have had a chance to settle, before testing can be done to ensure accurate results," said Fitzgerald in an email.

Older schools without radon mitigation systems have had systems installed as required, she said.

Shawn Smith, who has two children attending the Fredericton school, said he was initially "shocked" at the radon finding.

"I think if they were going to be doing the testing they would let us know if was going to be performed and not just show us the results when there was an issue," said Smith.

"It would have been nice to know they were going in there to do that instead of just being informed that our kids are at school with this toxic gas that's in the building."

Smith noted that the levels recorded in the the school are still low and half of the former recommended level.

"I don't know that I'm reassured, but I'm definitely going to be following up to insure that the levels are taken down to where they are supposed to be."

The website of New Brunswick's chief medical officer of health states radon is an odourless, radioactive gas formed from the breakdown of uranium. It has no odour, colour or taste. It is found naturally in the environment and is common in New Brunswick.

Barb MacKinnon, the president of the New Brunswick Lung Association, says Health Canada recommends a building be fixed within one or two years if it has radon at the level found in the school.

"It's not an issue that you need to evacuate the building immediately," said MacKinnon.

She said the risk goes up with exposure over a long period of time.

"So the risk is relatively low in exposure for a year or two. But over 10 years, 20 years, then of course, your risk increases," she said.