One in five Cork homes at risk of high radon levels 

Cork households can now borrow radon testing kits from their local library

Digital monitors provide a snapshot in time of the radon levels in a building, and are very useful as an indicator of radon levels, the EPA said.

Households across Cork county can now borrow kits from local libraries to test their homes for radon, a cancer-causing gas particularly high in the county compared to the rest of Ireland.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one in five homes in many areas of Cork county are likely to have high levels of radon.

Radon is in the same group of carcinogens as asbestos and tobacco smoke.

In the air, radon decays quickly to produce radioactive particles that, when inhaled, are deposited in the airways and on lung tissue to give a radiation dose that can cause lung cancer, the EPA says.

Lung cancer

It is the cause of about 350 cases of lung cancer in Ireland every year, the second biggest cause after smoking.

At the National Radon Forum, the EPA and Cork County Council’s Library and Arts Service launched a library loan scheme of digital radon monitors on Wednesday.

Digital monitors provide a snapshot in time of the radon levels in a building, and are very useful as an indicator of radon levels, the EPA said. 

They are also used to check that radon levels have been reduced following remediation work, it added.

If the digital monitor indicates high levels, the EPA advises a three-month test to compare the levels of radon in a building with the national accepted level. The three-month test kit costs about €60.

Indoor ventilation

One of the simplest ways to dilute radon is to increase the indoor ventilation by installing wall vents or window trickle vents. This can reduce radon levels in homes by up to 50%, according to the EPA.

The most effective and most commonly used way of reducing the flow of radon into homes is by installing an active radon sump.

They can usually be installed in one day and all the work is carried out from outside a home. The work typically costs about €925, the EPA said. An active sump can reduce radon levels by about 90%.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Frank O’Flynn, said: “The availability of radon digital monitors in our libraries will make it easier for everyone to take the first step in protecting their families from this harmful gas. I encourage people to borrow a monitor from their local library to help protect their family’s health.”