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LIVING IN AN area with a high level of radon exposure increases the risk of lung cancer diagnosis, according to new research.
The study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) finds this is the case even after accounting for other risk factors that could influence an individual’s likelihood of lung cancer diagnoses, such as smoking history, age and gender.
Exposure to radon gas is thought to be the second most important cause of lung cancer worldwide after smoking.
The research, commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency, links data from more than 5,000 people aged over 50 in Ireland from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing with data on radon exposure risk provided by EPA.
Radon can intrude into houses from underground or from certain building materials.
EPA has an online “risk map“, which splits Ireland into a grid and breaks down the areas most at risk of radon exposure by a colour code.
A high radon area is any area where it is predicted that 10% or more of homes will exceed the reference level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre. This is the point above which action should be taken to lessen the effects of radon exposure.
[image alt="Capture" src="http://cdn.thejournal.ie/media/2018/02/capture-1113-296x265.jpg" width="296" height="265" credit-url="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.epa.ie%2Fradiation%2Fradonmap%2F" credit-source="EPA" caption="EPA's%20Radon%20Map" class="alignnone" /end]
The researchers found that lung cancer diagnosis is more prevalent in areas where 10 to 20% of houses are above the national reference point.
People in these areas are three times more likely to have a lung cancer diagnosis than people in areas were less than 1% of houses are above the reference point.
However, the study didn’t find an increased risk of lung cancer diagnosis in areas with the highest level of radon exposure.
Areas where the risk of radon is highest – where more than 20% of houses are above the national reference point – don’t have the highest odds of lung cancer, according to the researchers.
This does, however, suggest that households in these areas may have reduced their risk by protecting their homes.
“It is already known that 250 lung cancer deaths in Ireland every year can be attributed to radon exposure,” Anne Nolan of the ESRI said.
“This research emphasises that people should not be complacent about the risk of radon exposure. Measures should be taken to ensure that people in areas of high radon exposure are aware of the risk and know how to mitigate it.”
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Stating the obvious
@P.J. Nolan: was just thinking someone got paid to write that..
A state report on lung cancers in Ireland, published about 10yrs ago, listed exposure to Radon gas as the 4th highest risk factor in developing the cancer. Just had a look at it now, and the map in the report showing areas with high incidences of lung cancer is remarkably similar to the map in this article showing areas with high concentrations of Radon. 250 deaths per year attributed to radon suggests that up to 12% of all lung cancer cases are caused by radon exposure. Interestingly, beyond stating that radon was a high risk factor the 2008 report never mentioned it again, instead focusing on smoking which it said was responsible for over 90% of cases. If radon is the 4th highest cause of lung cancer, and is responsible for over 10% of all cases (2,400 in 2015) , then the maths is clearly incorrect. Presumably nothing to do with certain areas showing higher levels of radon in local authority built properties than in privately built, and the fear of legal action and potentially huge compensation claims ?
@thejournal.ie – Article should have a link to the EPA site where people can get their Radon levels accessed.
@Anthony Clark: Don’t expect too much from modern journalists.
@Anthony Clark: You have to order the measurement device. It costs approx 60 euro…
@Geraldine O’Riordan: Have been through procedure? Would you mind to explain how it works ??
@cortisola: The procedure for checks is very simple. If you’re worried, contact the EPA ( Tel.: 053-916 0600 – or Email:info@epa.ie – or through their website http://epa.ie/about/contactus/ ).
Tell them you want a home or building checked for Radon Gas. They will discuss with you what is necessary for your particular enquiry and the area the home or building is located in.
What the EPA will do is send an officer to place a Radon Gas measuring monitoring machine in your home or building, usually on the ground floor for a period of time (could be over a number of weeks). It’ll be no intrusion as it will look just like a small piece of furniture on the floor, like a small radio tucked away, plugged into an electrical socket. You won’t need to do anything yourself… the machine will do it as long as it’s plugged in over the test period.
After a while, they will then come back to check what readings/detection of radon gas the machine has collected over time and advise you accordingly of the findings – and, if necessary, advise on any remedies, or none, necessary.
The fee for such monitoring is quite cheap compared to what one’s electricity, home heating bills etc are like – about €60 or less, for such an important test for a family home in the high risk areas shown in the EPA’s Radon Map of Ireland.
EPA officers are trained scientists who are very good at what they do. No one should feel any worries about contacting, or dealing, with them.
If we say that Dublin is a high Radon risk area will it make property any cheaper or persuade people not to live there, I doubt it.
@Chris Kirk: Imagine if we actually used facts instead. What you really should be talking about is Galway according to the map. It can be addressed too.
@Chris Kirk: Dublin City and County is largely less at-risk (see EPA Map).
Radon Gas is truly lethal, not to be joked about. A couple of points:
* It seeps up from the ground in areas where dense igneous rock beds, like granite, lie under the soil. It is odourless, colourless and tasteless and therefore undetectable except by special small machines that test for radioactivity. Its radioactive molecules pass through concrete and wood into unprotected homes.
* It is relatively harmless in the open air but can be dangerous in confined spaces such as homes and workplaces, particularly single-storey buildings.
* Older homes, built without a damp-proof membrane or radon barrier in areas where a dense igneous rock bed lies under the soil, are most at risk (See EPA Radon Map’s orange and red areas).
* It is essential to keep windows open in such older homes to continually ventilate and disperse the gas to open air.
* Newer houses built since the 90s have radon barriers and piping under ground floors leading to external radon sumps to collect and disperse the gas harmlessly to open air.
* Never build an extension room to a home over a radon sump, unless a vertical ventilation pipe from the sump to above roof level is also installed to disperse the gas.
If in doubt about older homes, follow EPA advice to test for the gas and for any remedial works advised by them.
And what is anyine doing about it? New houses have Radon sumps etc but i know for a fact mine is full of water, does that make a difference? Where are the radon detectors installed in every house sonthet cab get real data not just sample stuff?
@Bunny Johnson:
Google radon detector
Radon detector are €40 or are waiting for the gubberment to give you one.
@P.J. Nolan: Seems to have gone up to €56.90 now…
Any yes – would be nice for the gubberment to subsidise it..
@Anthony Clark:
I Googled radon detector kit and the first one that came up was a domestic kit at €40.
Is there anything that you are prepared to pay for yourself? Or is that reserved for sky sports, fags and pints.
If they did bring out a grant of let’s say €20 all that would happen is the price would go by at least €20.
@Bunny Johnson: The EPA have done, and continue to do, great work highlighting the problem nationwide, offering advice on remedies where it’s found to be a problem. They will rent you the radon monitoring equipment to test for the gas for a small fee, or you could buy one.
Your waterlogged radon sump should be emptied asap and regularly maintained free of water, otherwise the gas will not escape to open air and could seep and enter your home through the ground floor.
Why is this news? Known in Cornwall, UK at least 25yrs ago. Granite houses have to maintain ventalation and monitor radon levels.
@Melissa O’Callaghan: It is news because it needs to be in the news – forever.
There are thousands of homes affected by Radon Gas seeping into them, some less than others (see the EPA Radon Maps).
There are parts of Ireland, like Cornwall, that will continuously seep radioactive Radon Gas from igneous bedrock – forever.
That’s worthy of everyday “news” – forever.
No shit Sherlock!
I got a radon detector and it shows 231 and red :( what can I do though? Is opening windows the only solution?
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