JULY 2005

Radon test with house sales would cut lung cancer deaths

The chairman of the environmental firm Ecopure has said that new research on the threat from radon gas suggests that the government should follow many US states and make radon testing compulsory for house sales.

Matt Collins who is a chartered environmentalist, said two major studies published in the US and Europe have indicated that radon can cause lung cancer at lower levels than previously thought. "This puts more people at risk. In the past it's been suggested that about 250,000 people in the Republic are exposed to radon levels above the safety threshold in their own homes. That figure will now have to be significantly increased. "This problem with radon gas is already causing an estimated 200 cases of lung cancer a year. The question is now what we're going to do about it. Many states in the US already have legislation which makes it mandatory to have a radon test done on your home if you are selling it, and it is time we had the same. There are lots of houses bought and sold in the course of a year, and through time this means that many more tests will be done. The effect of this would be to cut down the number of people dying from lung cancer caused by exposure to this indoor radiation."

Radon gas is formed by the breakup of radiation in the earth, and it can seep into homes. Figures released by the Radiological Protection Institute suggest there are more than 90,000 homes in the country with radon concentration above the safety level. Only about 3,300 have been identified.

Mr Collins said Ecopure, based in Donegal, began supplying radon testing equipment and remediation last year because he felt there was a growing realisation of the risks posed by radon. "The strange thing we've found is that our information leaflets have been flying out of the shops but we've had very little follow-up. It's bizarre, as if people are aware of the risk and yet content to do nothing about it. It can hardly be an issue of price, as the testing equipment is not expensive. Whatever the reason, I think it's time the government took action. People selling their homes in many parts of the States are required to include a radon test with the documents, and that should be done here. Over the years this has greatly increased the number of tests done in the US, and the number of homes where a problem with high radon has been sorted out. Many lives have been saved as a result. Obviously Ecopure had a business concern in this, along with other firms in this area, but my initial interest stemmed from getting a test done in my own home to protect our family members. There is a public health issue here - we can cut the number of deaths from lung cancer and we should do it.

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