"IT IS more important that householders be informed than be worried," says Dr Tom O'Flaherty, chief executive of the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland. He was commenting on the institute's new report which shows almost all of Co Sligo and much of the south-east have high levels of the radioactive gas, radon.
Radon has been Inked to increased lung cancer in many international studies. Between 7,000 and 30,000 radon-related deaths occur each year in the US, according to a newly-published book, Exposure, Living with Radiation in Ireland.
This compares with 23,000 from drink-driving, 4,400 from fire and 1,000 from air crashes there, a clear indication that long-term exposure to radon represents a genuine threat to health.
The situation is no different here, according to the RPII. Each year a typical person in Ireland is exposed to about three millisieverts of natural and man-made radiation. The annual exposure in a home where radon is a problem can easily exceed five millisieverts from this source alone.
And it is worth noting that the RPII study estimates that up to one in five homes in parts of Cos Sligo, Wexford, Carlow and south Kildare have a radon problem.
"Radon measurement is an important part of our work. The emphasis is very much on the safety aspects," stated the RPII chairman, Dr Mary Upton.
Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas. It seeps from the ground and arises from the decay of uranium, which is found in all types of soils and rocks. In the open it simply blows away, but it can collect in spaces under buildings, eventually penetrating into living quarters.
Increased radon is also a problem because of improved living standards. Central heating helps to create slightly lower air pressures indoors, which causes radon to be drawn up into the home.
Better insulation, double glazing and the blocking of draughts help keep the radon inside.
The institute has been involved in studying radon here since the early 1990s. It has identified several areas in which radon exceeds the level at which action should be taken.
Any householder who participated in the studies and had high levels was warned to undertake corrective measures, Dr O'Flaherty said. Yet just 10 per cent of people have bothered to do so, despite the health risks.
"We see it as an educational job that has to be done. It takes time to sink in though," Dr O'Flaherty said.
Building regulations do not require measures to reduce radon, although they do say that account be taken of it, he said. Efforts are underway, however, to modify building regulations.
Radon can easily be controlled in an existing dwelling by installing fans under subfloors, or controlling penetration through the ground using plastic linings.
The Department of Transport, Energy and Communications recently announced a grant scheme worth a maximum of £800, representing 50 per cent of the total cost of radon remediation. This scheme begins in January 1998.
Free testing in areas identified in the RPII surveys as having high radon levels is also to be introduced in January 1999. Until then, householders can pay for their own tests, which cost £15.
The RPII operates a freefone number for information about these tests and radon in general: 1800 300 600.
