Public too complacent on radon, claims study
The Irish public is far too complacent about the dangers of radon gas, according to a study commissioned by the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland.
Radon is a natural gas that seeps up through the ground and can get trapped in buildings without proper ventilation.
A build-up of this gas in houses and other buildings is blamed for an estimated 150 to 200 lung-cancer deaths ever year.
The RPII said a study it commissioned found that three-quarters of Irish people were aware of the problem, yet only a tiny proportion of homeowners had come forward to have tests carried on their properties.
An estimated 91,000 homes in Ireland have radon concentrations above the recommended safe levels, but only 3,300 of these houses have so far been identified.
