Your Home
Sligo Radon Week, Mar 2010
Are your home and family safe?
Nearly 1 in 4 homes measured by the RPII in County Sligo have radon gas concentrations above the acceptable level - the highest measurement to date was 27 times the acceptable level. The follow-up to an intensive campaign in March of this year will be rolled out in the week begining 27th September. This reminder campaign is to raise awareness of the dangers of radon and the need to measure your home.
Sligo Events
The Sligo Champion and Sligo Weekender will both carry print advertising with the key message as shown below to encourage householders to undertake a measurement of radon in their homes.
Radio advertising will also run on Ocean FM and on Midwest Radio for the week.
Read our press release which will be carried in the local papers.
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What is radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas which is naturally produced in the ground from the uranium present in small quantities in all rocks and soils.
You cannot smell, see or taste radon.
Radon can only be measured with special detectors.
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Why is radon a problem?
Radon is a radioactive gas which produces tiny radioactive particles. When inhaled, these particles are deposited in the airways and on lung tissue, giving a radiation dose that can cause lung cancer
Radon is in the same group of carcinogens as asbestos and tobacco smoke
Your risk of contracting lung cancer from exposure to radon depends on the level of radon you have been exposed to and duration of exposure.
Two groups of people are more at risk and should take action to reduce their exposure:
- Those living in a home with high radon levels.
- Those who smoke or who used to smoke.
Smokers run a much higher risk of developing radon-related lung cancer than those who never smoked because when the two carcinogens radon and tobacco smoke are combined, the risk is magnified.
There is no scientific evidence linking radon with any other types of respiratory illnesses or other cancers.
The Government has set a level of 200 Becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3) as the national Reference Level for radon in homes above which the risk is unacceptable.
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Why is radon a problem in Sligo?
In the map of Co. Sligo below, High Radon Areas are depicted as the brown and dark brown coloured grid squares.
A High Radon Area is one in which more than 10% of homes are predicted to have radon levels in excess of the reference level of 200 Bq/m3.
Many areas in Sligo are predicted to have more than 20% of the homes above the Reference Level.
You can seach for your home address on our interactive radon map.
Even if you do not live in a High Radon Area, you still may have high levels in your home. The only way to know is to have your home tested.
We have also compiled results by county from all the measurements we have undertaken that show that Co. Sligo has the highest percentage of measured homes above the acceptable level.
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How does radon get into my home?
Radon can enter a building from the ground through small cracks in floors and through gaps around pipes or cables
Radon tends to be sucked from the ground into a building because the indoor air pressure is usually slightly lower than outdoors. This pressure difference occurs because warm indoor air is less dense than outdoor air.
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How does a radon measurement work?
A radon measurement is usually carried out by placing two small detectors, about the size of an air freshener, in your home for three months.
One detector is placed in a bedroom the other in a living room - the places most occupied by the homeowner and family.
After three months, when the detectors are returned to the laboratory, they are analysed to see how much radon they have been exposed to.
Once the results are known, a report is issued to the person who requested the measurement indicating the average level of radon in their home and advice on what to do next if it is a high result.
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Where can I get a radon measurement?
The RPII provide a simple and inexpensive radon measurement service for your home and for the workplace
You can apply and pay through our our online sevice
Alternatively, you can download, print and fill in an application form for your home or workplace and, depending on your payment method, post or fax it to us.
Other companies also provide a measurement service and we have provided their details here for your convience.
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