200 die each year of lung cancer caused by radon gas: report

AN estimated 200 people in Ireland are dying each year from lung cancer caused by high levels of radon gas, well above a global average.

A family home in Galway, it emerged yesterday, is enduring radioactive levels equivalent to receiving nearly 12 chest x-rays per day — more than 4,000 a year.

Of the 170,000 deaths worldwide from lung cancer, between 6% and 15% are caused by exposure to the gas, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

However, the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) said yesterday that up to 13% of lung cancer deaths are caused by exposure to radon.

“This is clearly at the upper end of the scale and reflects the high radon levels found in Irish homes,” said Dr Hajo Zeeb, coordinator of the WHO’s International Radon Project.

Radon is a naturally occurring, colourless and odourless radioactive gas. It is formed in the ground by the radioactive decay of uranium, which is present in all rocks and soils.

It can move through soil and enter buildings through small cracks, holes or imperfections in the floor.

The RPII has measured radon in more than 4,000 houses in Co Galway to date and 20% of these have been found to have levels that exceed the acceptable level of 200 Bq/m3 (radioactive material measurement unit is the ‘becquerel’).

One home in Galway had a radon level of 3,434 Bq/m3, equal to nearly 12 chest x-rays per day.

Dr Zeeb was attending the fifth National Radon Forum in Galway.

A major theme this year is to compare experiences in addressing radon risk globally, and in Ireland, to determine the most effective strategies.