July 2010, Short radon tests not a reliable indicator

of radon concentrations in the home

Short radon tests are not a reliable indicator of radon concentrations in your home and should not be used to decide whether remedial work is required.

The RPII have recently been contacted on a number of occasions regarding the usefulness of short term radon tests.  Most of these queries have come from the Galway area due to the visit of a company selling radon tests that take several hours.  In the light of this the RPII wishes to make the following observations on the usefulness of such tests.

A reliable radon test must be made over a minimum of 3 months.  This is because the rate at which radon enters a building can vary significantly from day to day.  Therefore only the results of a 3 month test can be compared to the Reference Level (200 Bq/m³) and can be used to decide whether remediation work is needed.  A test carried out over a shorter period, particularly over a number of hours or days, is not a reliable estimate of your radon risk and should not be used as a basis for deciding whether remediation work is needed.

A short term radon test can be useful as an early indicator of the success or otherwise of remediation work.  However, a 3 month test will still be ultimately needed to determine whether the work has been successful.

April 2010, RPII to highlight danger of exposure to cancer causing radon gas

during an awareness drive in Carlow

Almost one in 6 homes measured have high levels of radon

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) is to host a week long awareness drive in Carlow to highlight the dangers of exposure to radon gas. The information campaign will begin on Saturday 17th April and will urge people to test their homes for the presence of cancer-causing radon gas.

Carlow has the fourth highest incidence of radon in homes in the country, with almost one in six homes measured in the county so far recording a measurement above the acceptable level. Exposure to radon gas is linked to some 200 lung cancer deaths each year in Ireland.

As part of the awareness drive the RPII will host two public meetings on Wednesday 21st April at 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm in the Talbot Hotel, Portlaoise Road, Carlow. The event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

Mr. David Pollard, Director of Monitoring and Measurement at the RPII, said: “Radon is a serious issue, especially in Carlow. But it’s easy to test for it and if your home has high levels it’s relatively inexpensive to fix it. Because radon is invisible, odourless and tasteless, people cannot tell if they have high levels of the radioactive gas in their home without testing for it. Homeowners in Carlow need to take this matter seriously and measure radon levels in their homes to ensure that they and their families are not at risk”.

March 2010, Sligo Radon Week.

Almost a quarter of homes measured in Sligo have high levels.
 

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) is to host a week long awareness drive in Sligo to highlight the dangers of exposure to radon gas. The information campaign will begin on Saturday 20th March and will urge people to test their homes for the presence of the cancer-causing gas, radon.

Sligo has the highest incidence of homes with high radon levels in Ireland, with almost one in four homes measured in the county so far exceeding the acceptable level. Exposure to radon gas is linked to some 200 lung cancer deaths each year in Ireland.

As part of the awareness drive, the RPII will host two public meetings on Wednesday 24th March at 3.30 pm and 7.30pm in the Sligo Park Hotel. The information event is free and everyone is welcome to attend.

David Fenton of the RPII, said: “Radon is a serious issue, especially in Sligo. But it’s easy to test for it and if your home has high levels, it’s relatively inexpensive to fix the problem. Because radon is invisible, odourless and tasteless, people cannot tell if they have high levels of the radioactive gas in their home without testing for it. Homeowners in Sligo need to take this matter seriously and measure radon levels in their homes to ensure that they and their families are not at risk”.
 

January 2010, High radon levels measured in homes in every county in Ireland.

Radon, a colourless, odourless and tasteless radioactive gas is linked to up to 200 lung cancer deaths each year in Ireland. Counties in the west, southeast and south of the country are returning the highest rates of homes with high radon levels. In Sligo, 24 per cent of the homes tested by the RPII are above the acceptable level. In Waterford, Galway, Carlow, Wicklow, Mayo, Wexford the rate is greater than 15 per cent. Seven other counties returned results where more than 10 per cent are high. There is no county in Ireland without a home with a high radon level.

Ten of the fifteen highest individual measurements have been found in Kerry where the overall rate of homes tested above the acceptable level is 14 per cent. These were recorded in the area around Tralee and Castelisland. Dr. Ann McGarry, Chief Executive of the RPII, said: “Because radon is odourless, colourless and tasteless, many people are unknowingly living with dangerous levels of radiation in their homes. Homeowners, especially those in High Radon Areas, need to take this matter seriously and measure radon levels in their homes to ensure that they and their families are not at risk.”

November 2009, It could take 400 years to measure housing stock for radon.

A cohesive national strategy is needed to tackle this problem

It could take 400 years to measure all homes in the country for cancer-causing radon gas, which is linked to 200 lung cancer deaths every year, the National Radon Forum was told today.

The forum, held in Dublin, was told that the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) estimates that at the current rate at which houses are being tested, testing of the State’s current housing stock would not be finished for four centuries.

The Chief Executive of the RPII Dr Ann McGarry said today that this rate was unacceptably slow. “People who could detect high levels of this gas and take remedial action are not doing so, thus exposing themselves to unnecessary risks”, she said. “Some local authorities have taken a lead in testing their housing stock, but others need to follow this example. Most importantly, 80% of houses are privately owned and home-owners need to take action. Testing your house for radon is easy and will bring great peace of mind."

October 2009, Two Kerry homes found to have cancer-causing radon gas levels,

among the highest in Europe.

Families in Ireland continue to be exposed to cancer-causing radon gas as two homes in Co Kerry are identified as having levels of radon gas among the highest found in Europe. These new findings are the third and fourth highest measurements found in the country to date.

Measurements in one home were up to 70 times the acceptable level, representing a radiation dose to the occupants equivalent to nearly 47 chest X-rays per day, according to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).

Nationally, radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer after smoking and is directly linked to about 200 lung cancer deaths each year. The RPII believes it is very likely that there are more homes throughout the country with very high radon levels and urges people to test for the gas and reduce their risk of lung cancer.

July 2009, Waterford at risk from cancer-causing radon gas.

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has identified a house in Co Waterford with concentrations of radon gas 16 times above the acceptable level. The RPII believes it is very likely that there are more homes in Waterford with similarly high radon levels and urges local people to test for radon and reduce their risk of lung cancer. Nationally, radon is linked to 200 lung cancer deaths per year.

The home, which is located in near Tramore, had a measurement of 3140 becquerels of radon per cubic metre (Bq/m3). At these radon levels the radiation dose to the householder would be equivalent to receiving over 3900 chest X-rays a year.

Commenting on the measurement, Mr. David Fenton, Manager of Radon Advice at the RPII said: “Some of the highest radon levels we have measured in the country have been in Waterford. Last year, a house in the vicinity had a measurement of 9000 Bq/m3 and this latest reading reinforces our message that people locally really need to measure their homes for radon. Radon has no smell, taste or colour so families can unknowingly be living with high radon levels putting themselves at increased risk of developing lung cancer”.

July 2009, Co Clare continues to be at risk from cancer-causing radon gas.

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has identified a house in Co Clare with concentrations of radon gas 11 times above the acceptable level. Nationally, radon is responsible for up to 200 lung cancer deaths per year. The RPII believes it is very likely that there are more homes in Clare with similarly high radon levels and urges local people to test for the gas and reduce their risk of lung cancer.

The home which is located in Ennis had a measurement of 2237 becquerels of radon per cubic metre (Bq/m3). At these radon levels, the radiation dose to the householder would be equivalent to receiving nearly 2800 chest X-rays per year.

Commenting on the measurement, Mr. David Fenton, Manager of Radon Advice at the RPII said: “Radon has no smell, taste or colour and, because of this, people cannot tell if they have radon in their home without measuring for it. To date the RPII has measured 3115 homes in Co Clare and found that roughly 1 in 9 homes are above the acceptable level. We believe that there are many more homes in Clare with high radon levels. People living in these homes are at increased risk of developing lung cancer.”

July 2009, Very high levels of cancer causing radon gas found in a house in Tipperary.

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has identified a house in Co Tipperary with concentrations of radon gas nearly 15 times above the acceptable level. Nationally, radon is responsible for up to 200 lung cancer deaths per year. The RPII believes it is very likely that there are more homes in Tipperary with similarly high radon levels and urges local people to test for the gas and reduce their risk of lung cancer.

The home which is located in Clonmel had an average radon level of 2909 becquerels of radon per cubic metre (Bq/m3) which is the highest average value ever found in a house in Co Tipperary. At these radon levels, the radiation dose to the householder would be equivalent to receiving over 3600 chest X-rays per year.
Commenting on the measurement, Mr. David Fenton, Manager of Radon Advice at the RPII said: “Radon has no smell, taste or colour and, because of this, people cannot tell if they have radon in their home without measuring for it. To date the RPII has measured 1585 homes in Co Tipperary and found that almost 1 in 9 homes are above the acceptable level. We believe that there are more homes in Tipperary with high radon levels. People living in these homes are at increased risk of developing lung cancer.”

The Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII) has found three homes in Mayo and Sligo with concentrations of radon gas up to 16 times the acceptable level. Nationally, radon is responsible for up to 200 lung cancer deaths per year. The RPII believes it is very likely that there are more homes in the North-West with similarly high radon levels and urges local people to test for the gas and reduce their risk of lung cancer.

The three homes, one of which is located in Claremorris, Co Mayo, and two in Tubercurry and Ballymote in Co Sligo, had measurements of 3261 becquerels of radon per cubic metre (Bq/m3), 2923 Bq/m3 and 2871 Bq/m3 respectively. At these radon levels, the radiation dose to the householder would be equivalent to receiving between 2700 and 4000 chest X-rays per year.

Commenting on these measurements, Mr. David Fenton, Manager of Radon Advice at the RPII said: “Radon has no smell, taste or colour and, because of this, people cannot tell if they have radon in their home without measuring for it. To date we have measured over 4300 homes in Mayo and Sligo and found that roughly 1 in 6 homes are above the acceptable level. We believe that there are many more homes in these counties with high radon levels. People living in these homes are at increased risk of developing lung cancer.”

January 2009, Summary of Radon Research published

in The British Medical Journal.

Researchers = Alastair Gray, Professor of Health Economics 1, Simon Read, Analyst and Programmer 2, Paul McGale, Statistician 2, Sarah Darby, Professor of Medical Statistics 2.

1 Health Economics Research Centre, Department of Public Health, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7LF.

2 Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, University of Oxford.

Objective = To determine the number of deaths from lung cancer related to radon in the home and to explore the cost effectiveness of alternative policies to control indoor radon and their potential to reduce lung cancer mortality.

Design Cost effectiveness analysis.

Setting = United Kingdom.

Data sources = Epidemiological data on risks from indoor radon and from smoking, vital statistics on deaths from lung cancer, survey information on effectiveness and costs of radon prevention and remediation.

Main outcome measures = Estimated number of deaths from lung cancer related to indoor radon, lifetime risks of death from lung cancer before and after various potential interventions to control radon, the cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained from different policies for control of radon, and the potential of those policies to reduce lung cancer mortality.

Results = The mean radon concentration in UK homes is 21 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m3). Each year around 1100 deaths from lung cancer (3.3% of all deaths from lung cancer) are related to radon in the home. Over 85% of these arise from radon concentrations below 100 Bq/m3 and most are caused jointly by radon and active smoking. Current policy requiring basic measures to prevent radon in new homes in selected areas is highly cost effective, and such measures would remain cost effective if extended to the entire UK, with a cost per QALY gained of £11 400 ( 12 200; 913). Current policy identifying and remediating existing homes with high radon levels is, however, neither cost effective (cost per QALY gained £36 800) nor effective in reducing lung cancer mortality.

Conclusions = Policies requiring basic preventive measures against radon in all new homes throughout the UK would be cost effective and could complement existing policies to reduce smoking. Policies involving remedial work on existing homes with high radon levels cannot prevent most radon related deaths, as these are caused by moderate exposure in many homes. These conclusions are likely to apply to most developed countries, many with higher mean radon concentrations than the UK.

February 2007 - New, Early Warning, Lung Cancer Test

Irish Times Article

A new lung cancer test has been developed that gives exceptionally early warning of the disease. The test, which measures the activity of 80 separate genes, is highly accurate and could help save lives through earlier medical intervention. The new test was a joint effort involving scientists and medical clinicians at the Boston University Medical Centre and St James's Hospital, Dublin. Details of the work are published in the prestigious journal, Nature Medicine.

Initial trials on about 200 patients showed the test to be between 83 and 95 per cent accurate for identifying patients with early-stage lung cancer, stated the head of the Irish group at St James's and consultant respiratory physician, Dr Joseph Keane. Dr Keane spent some time on the faculty of the Boston University and developed contacts with the Nature Medicine's two lead authors, Dr Avrum Spira and Dr Jerome Brody. On his return to Ireland, Dr Keane joined them to try and find a "biomarker" that could help identify lung cancer as early as possible by looking for changes in lung tissue samples.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in the world, with 80 to 85 per cent of patients dying within five years of diagnosis, Dr Keane said. An estimated 1,500 die here each year from the disease. "In Ireland, there is an epidemic among young women," he added. St James's handles about 20 per cent of all lung cancer patients in the Republic.

Dr Keane worked with Dr Spira on an emerging technology based on the use of DNA chips. These chips can measure gene activity in cells, indicating in a sample whether genes are switched on or switched off. Using tissue samples provided by Dublin, the Boston group identified a biomarker involving the activity of 80 genes. About half of the genes become more active and half less active if a person is at risk of lung cancer. The research team found its biomarker was highly accurate for confirming an existing lung cancer diagnosis and it now wants to run a much larger trial to confirm the test can also reliably predict whether a person will actually contract the disease.

"We haven't shown that if you have these gene changes you will progress to lung cancer, but if we do show that, then we have a remarkable tool for the very early diagnosis of lung cancer," said Dr Keane. Early diagnosis is considered imperative if a patient is to have the best chance of survival, he said.

Two weeks ago the New England Journal of Medicine ran reports suggesting CT scanning could help reduce lung cancer mortality. Dr Keane, who is also attached to Trinity College Dublin's institute of molecular medicine, was the first person to be supported by the Health Research Board's clinician scientist programme

© 2007 The Irish Times

RPII Radon Action Plan 2006

The following are the summary of recommendations extracted from the RPII Radon Action Plan published in 2006:

The central theme of a programme to identify and remediate Irish homes with radon concentrations above the national Reference Level is the provision of targeted information that will allow individuals to make informed choices. The specific initiatives that should be considered include:

• A high profile information and media campaign to be managed jointly by the RPII, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Department of Health and Children;
• A study to be commissioned on the feasibility of including radon measurement and remediation in the conveyancing process;
• Improved implementation of the building regulations to further reduce radon concentrations in newly built homes and the number of such homes with radon concentrations above the Reference Level;
• The Homebond scheme to be extended to include the installation of radon barriers and sumps;
• A programme of free radon measurements in all High Radon Areas;
• And Some form of financial assistance to householders for the reduction of radon concentrations above the Reference Level.

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