Radon & the Dangers Posed

According to the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, houses have been found in Ireland in which the measured radon level give rise to an estimated annual dose in excess of the permitted maximum radiation dose to workers in the nuclear industry.

The natural radioactive gas, radon, has been classified as a Class A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). This means that Radon is a member of a very elite group of substances which have shown to be human carcinogens on the basis of human epidemiological studies.

The principle adverse health effect arising from the inhalation of radon and its short lived decay products is lung cancer. The current recommended risk factor is equivalent to a lifetime risk of death of 1 x 10.

Radon-222 is a radioactive, inert, noble gas. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless and is generally detected by its radiation signature. Radon-222 decays through a series of short-lived radon daughters or decay products, which are radioactive isotopes of solid elements i.e. Polonium, Bismuth and Lead. Two of these radon daughters are alpha particle emitters. Following inhalation and deposition in the lung the delivered radiation dose to bronchial tissue is implicated in radiogenic lung cancer.