Kildare people warned to test their homes for deadly radioactive gas
By Kim O'Leary
Kildare residents are being urged to test their homes for deadly radon, a radioactive gas that is very dangerous for humans as it is a leading cause for cancer.
As part of European Radon Day today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is calling on all householders to test their homes for this cancer-causing radioactive gas.
Radon is second only to smoking as the leading cause of lung cancer and it is estimated that some 250 lung cancer cases each year in Ireland are linked to radon exposure.
Radon comes from rocks and soils and can get into your home through small cracks and openings in the foundations of a house or gaps around service pipes, and as radon has no colour, taste or smell the only way to know how much radon is in your home is to take a simple radon test.
The test costs about €50 and can be ordered from one of the services registered with the EPA. Two small detectors, about the size of a biscuit, are delivered to you by post and placed in your home.
After three months, they are then posted back to the laboratory, where they are analysed to see how much radon they have been exposed to. The results are then posted back to you.
Stephanie Long, Senior Scientist with the EPA said:“More than 62,000 homes in Ireland have been tested for radon so far. If you haven’t already done so, we would urge you to protect your family’s health by taking this simple and inexpensive test as soon as possible. "
She said: "So far, we have identified almost 8,800 homes with levels of radon above the acceptable level - some homes have had extremely high levels. The good news is that radon is easy to test and simple solutions are available to reduce high levels where necessary. Give yourself and your family peace of mind and take the radon test today”.
Meanwhile, in Kildare local media has reported that one home in Kildare registered at over 500% of the recommended levels for radon.
One homeowner that has taken the radon test is clinical psychologist Dr Clare Kambamettu who measured high radon levels in her Galway home. She had a radon sump installed which very successfully solved the problem for her.
Clare commented: “We were so worried when we got our radon test results back initially and thought it would be an impossible problem to solve. The staff in the EPA were very informative when it came to helping us understand our options and the remediation works were quick, easy and effective! No more worrying about radon!”
There are several ways of reducing radon, the two most common are by improving ventilation or installing what is known as an active radon sump, while the EPA can provide homeowners with a list of registered companies that specialise in testing for radon.
For more information and advice visit http://www.epa.ie/radon/