Warning over high levels of deadly gas in homes
Thousands of people around the country are receiving potentially lethal doses of radiation that would not be tolerated by workers in the Sellafield nuclear plant, it was claimed today.
The warning from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland came after a house in Kerry was found to have 40 times the acceptable level of the deadly gas Radon.
It is a radioactive and cancer-causing gas but is colourless, odourless and tasteless.
Dr Ann McGarry, chief executive of the RPII, said it was estimated that 91,000 homes in Ireland had high levels of Radon but only 3,900 of them had been identified.
“People are receiving radiation doses that would not be tolerated by workers in Sellafield and it is unacceptable that they may be exposed to such dangerous levels,” said Dr McGarry.
The house in Kerry was tested over three months this year and found to have the third highest radon gas concentration recorded to date in a home in Ireland.
The dose the householder received is equivalent to receiving 27 chest X-rays per day or 10,000 per year.
The RPII said immediate action had been taken to stop gas seeping into the house by having a radon sump installed underneath it, preventing high radon levels accumulating inside again.
Dr McGarry said: “The identification of this house in Kerry is a further reminder that many people are living with very dangerous levels of radiation in their homes.
“It is unnecessary for members of the public to put themselves at risk from radon. Homeowners need to take this matter seriously and measure radon levels in their homes to ensure that they and their families are not at risk.”
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that originates from the decay of uranium in rocks and sols.
It is a Class One carcinogen and can cause lung cancer. It has been linked to 200 lung cancer deaths in Ireland every year. For people who smoke, or who have smoked, the risk from radon is considerably greater than for people who never smoked.
The RPII has produced a set of maps, available on its website www.rpii.ie, showing high radon areas where more than 10% of the houses have levels of the gas which are above the norm.
The maps show that nearly one-third of the country is deemed a high radon area, with the south-east and west being of particular concern.
Householders can test for radon by placing detectors in a bedroom and living room for three months. The detection kit can be bought from the RPII for 50 euro and can be returned for analysis by post.
