High radon gas levels in 300 homes

Radon gas continues to be a silent threat in homes with latest figures showing almost 300 households had high rates of the cancer-causing gas.

One home had 18 times the acceptable level, but more than one-in-eight of all homes tested had higher than normal rates.

The households involved had private tests conducted in the second half of 2011.

Radon remains, in this country, the second biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking and is directly linked to up to 200 lung cancer deaths each year.

According to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, the highest level of the gas was at a home in the Castlegar area of Galway — with an average radon concentration of 3,700 becquerels per cubic metre (bq/m3), over 18 times above the acceptable level of 200bq/m3.

Another four homes were found to have radon levels 10 times the accepted norm. Those homes were located in counties Sligo, Galway and two in Kerry.

A further 24 homes had levels between four and 10 times the acceptable level.

Six were located in Galway, six in Waterford, four in Kerry, two in Clare, one in Carlow, one in Donegal, one in Mayo, one in Sligo, one in Tipperary and one in Wexford. Nearly 300 homes had levels up to four times the acceptable level and these were found throughout the country.

Institute senior scientist David Fenton said these figures once again show the importance of completing radon tests as its the only way of detecting the gas.

“Our research shows Ireland has a significant radon problem and there are thousands of homes across the country with high levels of radon gas. Exposure to high levels causes lung cancer and many families are unknowingly living with a high risk to their health,” he said.

To test for radon, a radon detector is placed in a bedroom for three months and a second detector in a living room. The detectors are sent and returned by post for analysis. The institute and a number of private companies provide a radon measurement service for €50.

Between July and December last year, almost 2,600 people tested their homes for radon gas with 321 recording high levels.