COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
QUESTION NO. 10
QUESTION: Councillor G. O'Connell
"To ask the Chief Executive for a report on the presence or otherwise of radon gas in this LA and in particular in the Palmerston Area?"
REPLY:
Radon is a naturally occurring radio-active gas caused by the breakdown of Uranium, which is found in underground rock. It is a colourless and odourless gas, which disperses in air but it has been shown to be carcinogenic with risks of contracting lung cancer.
Radon gas can percolate through the soil and gather under the suspended ground floors of buildings. It can then seep through cracks/joints in floors or holes around pipework and accumulate in the structure. It may then become trapped within the building and can only be detected by specialist detection equipment.
The EPA Office of Radiological Protection, formerly the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland carry out public awareness campaigns of the dangers of exposure to radon in the home at a county level. The objective of these campaigns is to raise awareness of radon as a public health issue and to advise people to test their home and if high levels are found to reduce those levels.
| County | Number of houses measured |
Number of houses in categories of radon concentration |
Max (Bq/m3) | ||
| 0 - 199 | 200 - 700 | >800 | |||
| Bq/m3 | Bq/m3 | Bq/m3 | |||
| Carlow | 1218 | 982 | 224 | 12 | 2300 |
| Cavan | 461 | 447 | 14 | 0 | 800 |
| Clare | 4216 | 3694 | 433 | 89 | 3500 |
| Cork | 5770 | 5057 | 661 | 52 | 4500 |
| Donegal | 1504 | 1423 | 79 | 2 | 3400 |
| Dublin | 3778 | 3554 | 222 | 2 | 1400 |
| Galway | 7919 | 6255 | 1456 | 208 | 4200 |
Certain areas of the country are more likely to have a high number of homes with excessive levels of radon and these areas are known as High Radon Areas. They can be found on the EPA radon map of Ireland. The map was produced from a national survey of approximately 11,000 homes. That map notifies Palmerston as having an estimated percentage of between 1% and 5% of homes above the reference levels. The map has 5 different risk categories, < 1%, 1 -5 %, 5 – 10%, 10 – 20% and > 20%. Therefore, Palmerston is at a low risk of having radon gas in homes. The south east region of South Dublin County Council i.e. Firhouse and Rathfarnham has a risk category of between 5 – 10%. This is a higher risk category than D20 but still within the mid range of risk categories.
If a householder has a concern about radon in their home then the best advice is to have a radon measurement made. There are no properties for the Dublin 20 area listed on the EPA website as having been measured for radon. There are 30 properties listed for the Rathfarnham and Firhouse area as having been tested through the EPA monitoring service.
The EPA process of measuring radon in the home involves a series of simple steps
- Two radon detectors are sent to the property by post. One is placed in the main living area and one is placed in a main bedroom
- The detectors are left in place for a minimum of three months
- The radon detectors are returned to the EPA Office of Radiological Protection
- The EPA Office of Radiological Protection analyse the detectors and issue a radon report which will inform the householder of the results and, where necessary, any recommendations to reduce radon levels.
The cost of a radon measurement for your home is €56.90.
There is no grant available if a householder is advised by the EPA that works need to be carried out to reduce the level of radon in the house. Some radon reduction techniques are more expensive than others. The typical price for retro fitting a radon sump into a standard house is approximately €850. This can range from €450 - €1150. There are less expensive options available such as improving the ventilation in the home by installing extra wall vents. However each house will be assessed individually based on radon levels and the type of building.