PEOPLE LIVING in homes with dangerously high levels of radon have been attending meetings over the past two days to learn how to reduce their risk.
The meetings were organised by Cork County Council after tests of local authority housing revealed high radon levels in north Cork. Experts from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland addressed the meetings in Mitchelstown and Doneraile yesterday and on Tuesday.
Radon advice manager David Fenton said local authorities should follow the example of Cork by measuring and managing the problem. Of the 600 homes surveyed by the institute in Mallow last year, one in four had radon levels equivalent to the level of radiation delivered by 12 to 15 X-rays a day.
Mr Fenton said the naturally occurring radioactive gas – which has been linked to lung cancer – is capable of delivering quite a high radiation dose to people which is why it is important to measure levels. “Radon is a problem that will not just go away, it needs to be continually managed and the best way to manage it is to make sure levels are measured,” Mr Fenton said.
“Measuring radon is a very straightforward thing to do and if levels are high, it’s quite likely that something as simple as improving ventilation in the house will fix the problem such as putting in a wall or window vent.”
If radon levels were extremely high, there would be a need for a more robust solution. The most common measure, he said, was to have a radon sump installed beneath the property to divert the gas away from the building.
Mr Fenton said the cost of a sump is about €1,500. The institute has called on the government to provide a grant or tax relief to assist people in this.
