House has 13 times safe radon level
Inspections by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) revealed the extent of the danger at the Ballymote home.
The RPII believes it is highly likely there are other homes across the country with similarly high radon levels and has called for a national task force to be established to devise a strategy around radon gas testing.
The radiation dose received by the occupants of the Co Mayo house is equivalent to receiving 9 chest X-rays per day, or over 3,000 per year.
Ireland has the eighth highest levels of radon gas in the world and the highest levels in Europe. The west and south-east are most affected by the naturally occurring gas.
Nationally, radon is the second-biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that originates from the decay of uranium in rocks and soils. It has no smell, colour or taste and can only be detected using special detectors.
RPII senior scientist David Fenton has urged people to test their home for the deadly gas.
“In recent weeks we have highlighted the radon problem in Sligo and Carlow which are among the worst-affected counties in the country. We regularly find homes with very high radon concentrations and we know there are more. We would urge people not to ignore this warning and to test for radon in their homes. All people have to do is log on to www.rpii.ie or call 1800 300 600 to order a test.”
The Ballymote householder took immediate action to fix the problem by having a radon sump installed beneath the house which prevents high radon levels ever accumulating in the house again.
* The RPII website, www.rpii.ie, enables the public to search for their address on an interactive radon map. The map highlights whether their home or workplace is in a high radon area. Information can also be obtained on freefone 1800 300 600.
