Homeowners advised on handling radon risk
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Oct 29 2008 at 4:46 PM
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People living in homes with elevated levels of radon have been participating in meetings over the two days to learn how to minimize their risk.

Cork County Council organised the meetings in Mitchelstown and Doneraile after tests performed by local authority housing indicated high levels of radon in north Cork. The meetings were addressed by experts from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.

600 homes had been surveyed by the institute in Mallow last year and one in four had showed radon levels equivalent to the level of radiation delivered by 12 to 15 X-rays a day.

Radon advice manager David Fenton asked local authorities to follow the example of Cork by measuring and managing the trouble properly.

“This naturally occurring radioactive gas has been linked to lung cancer. It is capable of delivering quite a high radiation dose to people and therefore it is important to measure levels,” Fenton said.

Fenton said Radon is a problem that won’t just go away.

“It should be continually managed and the best way to manage it is to make sure levels are measured,” he said.

Fenton said measuring radon is a very straightforward thing to do and if its levels are high.

“It’s very likely that something as simple as improving ventilation in the house will fix the problem such as putting in a wall or window vent,” he said.

A better solution is required if the radon levels are extremely high, Fenton said.

“The most common measure is to have a radon sump installed beneath the property to redirect the gas away from the building,” Fenton said.

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