Dangerous gas levels found in Sussex homes (From The Argus)

Dangerous gas levels found in Sussex homes

9:57am Saturday 1st December 2007 in

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Homes in some areas of Sussex contain dangerous levels of radioactive gas.

Between five and 10 per cent of homes in Seaford and some areas in the Arun area have levels of radon which exceed Government safety guidelines.

The hotspots are shown on a new map produced jointly by the Health Protection Agency and the British Geological Survey using geology records and the results of measurements taken in 450,000 homes across England and Wales.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas produced through the decay of small amounts of uranium in rocks and soil.

When the gas decays it creates particles called radon daughters which can damage lung tissue.

High exposure to this sort of radiation increases the risk of lung cancer and recent studies show the risk from radon to smokers is particularly high.

It is estimated that between 1,000 and 2,000 cases of lung cancer are caused by indoor radon in the UK each year.

John Green, the principal environmental health officer at Arun District Council, said it has been known for some that radon affects some areas of Sussex, but the new data provided a more comprehensive estimate of levels.

He said: "The levels in Sussex are nowhere near as bad in areas such as Cornwall and Northampton.

"Here in Arun we've tested about 70 properties and none yet have exceeded the Government's action level.

"However the probability is that there will be some properties in Arun which do."

If radon concentrations in a dwelling exceed the action level of 200 Bq m-3 (becquerels per cubic metre), the government recommends steps are taken to keep radon out, such as sealing cracks and ventilating under-floor spaces.

Radon creeps into the lower pressure areas of houses from the ground through cracks and gaps in floors or walls.

Levels vary depending on several factors including the underlying geology, the method of building construction and the way a building is heated and ventilated.

People who are worried about the risk of radon can visit www.ukradon.org to discover the estimated probability that radon levels in their house exceed the Government's action levels. There is a charge of £3.53 for each report.

The only way to know for sure how much radon is in a house is through the use of a detector. These can be bought online from the Health Protection Agency for about £40.

The detectors must be left inside a house for three months before being sent to a laboratory for analysis.

For more information visit http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation.