Radon Gas?

[Johnny Boy]

Has anyone ever heard of someone dying or getting sick from radon gas or is it all a big fat lie. I know that radon is bad for your health but is it all alot of scare mongrening. Would asbestos tiles on roofs be more of a priorty for state agencies and councils.

 

[racso]

http://www.enfo.ie/leaflets/bs15.htm has some interesting info on radon and i would presume that due to the fact it causes lung cancer might mean that if you were a smoker it might be more difficult for doctors to find out the primary cause.

 

[KS1]

Radon gas can be a major problem and is believed to have significantly contributed to lung cancer in people resident where levels are high . all new builds should be fitted with radon sumps and a radon barrier to minimise effects. The RPII website provides a map of the country detailing where levels are high. It is also possible to buy radon kits whereby you monitor levels of radon in your home

 

[ClubMan]

Radon is a risk factor in illnesses such as cancer. Like most actual cases of such illnesses it's usually impossible to tie the cause back to a specific risk. As such you are very unlikely to come across cases of people "dying as a result of Radon". My own father died from cancer. We will never be able to tell if the primary cause was genetic (lots of others in his family had cancer), the smokes (he had been a heavy smoker up to 15+ years before his death), work that he had done years ago with asbestos, other work that he had done down the sewers, a combination of all of these and/or something else altogether. Note that asbsetos as an insulator is OK as long as it's intact. The problem arises if/when it starts to degrade/disintegrate and the dust becomes airborne. For more on Radon see .

 

[Johnny Boy]

It can go through granite concrete slab but a flimsy piece of plastic can stop the radon. This is just my own opinion

 

[Carpenter]

It can go through granite concrete slab but a flimsy piece of plastic can stop the radon. This is just my own opinion

A slab of granite can be porous (on a microscopic level) or have minute cracks and fissures which allow gas to permeate- a plastic radon barrier properly installed and sealed is impervious to gas; it's basic science really. As Clubman has rightly pointed out asbestos is only a hazard when it's disturbed and airborne, when it can be inhaled or ingested. Asbestos cement roofing materials are only hazardous when they are damaged/ degraded allowing the fibres to disperse.

 

[ajapale]

hi Johnny,

I remember reading about a year ago about a couple in CastleIsland who contracted lung cancer even though the were non smokers. Their house was found to have a very high level of radon gas.

If I find the reference Ill post it here.

aj

 

[ClubMan]

I remember reading about a year ago about a couple in CastleIsland who contracted lung cancer even though the were non smokers. Their house was found to have a very high level of radon gas.

I would be very surprised if Radon was actually established for certain as the cause of the disease in a case such as this.

 

[KS1]

In relation to the incident in castleisland, the RPII tested the house for radon and found some of the highest levels ever recorded in a domestic dwelling. As radon gas is known to cause lung cancer and both occupants of the house were non-smokers and had lung cancer i think it's logical to assume that radon was a major contributory factor. In relation to the radon barrier it is essential that it is installed and sealed correctly otherwise it is useless. additionally if you are putting in a sump it needs to be vented up the side of the dwelling as far as the eaves.