For the first time in 20 years the Environmental Protection Agency has published an updated radon risk map for Ireland.
If enough is breathed in over a long period of time it can damage DNA in the lungs and increase the risk of lung cancer.In the open air, radon is harmless. But in an enclosed space such as a house, it may build up to an unacceptably high level.Radon from the ground enters buildings chiefly through cracks in floors or gaps around pipes or cables.
This is because less ventilation in a building allows a greater build-up of the gas and so could result in an artificially high reading.The latest EPA map shows homes in Munster and Connaught in particular are at increased risk, with high radon levels likely in as many as one in five homes in much of these provinces.Radon is measured in becquerels per cubic metre of air .If home radon results are below 200 Bq/m3 there is no need to re-test unless major refurbishment work is carried out.
Mr Monaghan said for most homes, the solution is the installation of a radon extraction fan which draws radon from underneath the ground and"blows it off into the atmosphere.""Some houses may require two. You are talking in the region of €1,000 and €2,000," he said.
Its a bit like the poxy monkey, danger hyped up
Sure we don’t hear a word about this. It’s all to do with turf burning. This government has been so far out of touch with reality that they just don’t know how to put their eggs in a row. So disjointed in their thinking and approach. Sitting on their hands doing nothing as usual.