Radon gas

[JohnRoss]

Has anyone had the experience of a Radon gas assessment done in their property. I am looking for a way to get a quick assessment for the ground floor of our home. We are in the Deux Sevres area and I understand that Radon gas is to be found in some places and I would for various reasons like to get it checked out soon. Electronic meters seem to be quite expensive but I understand that some firms will send you a sampling device which you can send back to their lab for analysis..................JR

[woolybanana]

What does the mairie say on this, JR?

[JohnRoss]

Good thought and I will pop in and ask them but the village is not in the same area as our house so the geology might be different. It is our cellar that worries me. Always damp and well below ground level. I have an extractor fan fitted but don't run in Winter as it sucks air from the house into the cellar and then through two vents to the outside which makes it a bit cool indoors!......JR

PS Sadly I have a reason for asking.

[Patf]

We had tests done when we lived in a part of NE England with disused coalmines below, in the 90s. We placed a gadget in the living room, and one in the cellar, for 6 months, I think. Everyone in our street was given the tests to do. Then sent it off - the results were negative.

The area we lived in was a black spot for cancer cases.

Sorry can't remember details of the gadget.

[mint]

In the South Wales seaside town where we lived, the gas was extensive.  Also old coal mines there, as in Patf's post.

I seem to remember that the local authority had maps showing all the areas affected.  I also seem to remember that although a survey report would point to the gas's presence, it was something that you knew about and that was about it.

Didn't appear to be anything that could be or was done and we weren't any sort of black spot for any sort of epidemiological abnormality.

 

[JohnRoss]

Can anyone recommend a French firm to use to get this sample taken and analysed.It is just that we have had two cancer diagnoses in this household, my wife,breast cancer, and our previous cat, lung cancer, and now a third person under investigation for possible lung cancer...............JR

[Pickles]

[quote user="JohnRoss"]Can anyone recommend a French firm to use to get this sample taken and analysed.It is just that we have had two cancer diagnoses in this household, my wife,breast cancer, and our previous cat, lung cancer, and now a third person under investigation for possible lung cancer...............JR[/quote]

Firstly, won't UK companies send you a radon sampler?

Secondly, you really need to leave the detector in place for a few months ideally - which means that you aren't going to get "quick results" with the "send-away" type of system

Thirdly, you can rent expensive professional equipment - google Durridge or Ashtead Technology.

Fourthly, you can buy and fit your own detector - cost around £100 IIRC. Not as accurate as professional equipment, but to be honest, what you want to know is "is it a big number or a small number?" rather than "is it 9.6 or 9.7?". The readings WILL fluctuate, but you well get a "reasonable" indication quite quickly.

Fifthly - run that fan throughout the year, I'm afraid - IIRC, damp or wet conditions can increase the rate of radon arriving at the surface. Try to seal the cellar/house interface.

Good luck.

[richard51]

Hi

This may be a useful starting point:

http://www.irsn.fr/FR/base_de_connaissances/librairie/Documents/publications_grand_public/irsn_booklet_radon.pdf

[nectarine]

Kit for sale on Amazon as a starting point, good luck

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pro-lab-Incorporated-Do-It-Yourself-Radon-RA100/dp/B000BD6D20/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371641009&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=radon+tst+kit

[Rabbie]

Having lived in Sweden where Radon is a real problem the important things to remember is that Radon is a heavy gas and tends to accumulate in cellars etc. Provided you have adequate ventilation is not really a problem

[nomoss]

[quote user="JohnRoss"]

.......... I have an extractor fan fitted but don't run in Winter as it sucks air from the house into the cellar and then through two vents to the outside which makes it a bit cool indoors!......JR

[/quote]

I have solved this problem in the past by installing a second, similar fan, blowing outside air into the room being ventilated.

[Théière]

No Radon experience but I agree with Nomoss, positive pressure into a room with a smaller extractor sighted further away from the inflow.  Keep the rest of the house separate.

[JohnRoss]

Got a Canary Radon monitor now and have put it on the floor of our cellar. After 24 hrs reading 102.5 short term average so will leave it there for sometime and see how much higher the reading goes. According to the literature that came with the Canary a reading of 300 is getting dodgy and some places recommend taking action if the reading goes above 100 or 200 or 400 depending which country you look at. My pneumologiste reckons that radon ain't that bad unless you smoke in which case it is very bad! I suspect the reading will go up in Winter and when it rains so it is going to take some time to get an accurate indication of just how bad things are.......................JR

[JohnRoss]

Having had the Radon measuring meter, called Canary Radon monitor, in the

cellar for only a few days the highest reading so far was 177 Bq/cubic metre

short term average. This is higher than the American level of 148 Bq/cubic metre

above which you should take some action. The Americans use units of Pci/Litre of

air but 1Pci/L = 37 Bq/m cubed so their quoted figure of 4 Pci/L = 148 Bq/cubic

metre. The point has been made by the Environmental Protection Agency in the

U.S.A that no level of Radon is safe and home owners should consider action for

readings above 2 Pci/L, i.e. 74 Bq/cubic metre. A long term average is needed

over several months to quantify the actual risk but nevertheless the reading now

is disturbing!

 

Smokers have a significantly raised risk when exposed to Radon compared

with non-smokers, a fact confirmed by Dr Bidon at Niort hospital.

 

I shall start monitoring the level on our ground floor soon and whilst we

don't spend time in the cellar the gas often migrates to the ground floor and

higher. In the U.S. the levels as high as the third floor it is said should be

checked. The gas can come up through cracks and joints in floors and up through

wall cavities it would appear and our cellar has no solid floor only

gravel and water constantly seeps in through the cellar walls.

 

From what I have read the levels in Winter can be significantly higher as

water forces more gas out of the soil and sub-soil. Ventilation of the house is

less in Winter and heating can contribute to the problem too.

 

So I will do some further checks and before Winter fit a unit in the cellar

to suck air out through one of the two air vents and that should suck in fresh

air through the other vent without sucking the heat out of the upper levels.............................JR

[JohnRoss]

Last night reached a reading of 215 Bq/m3 in the cellar. That is too high for Summer I guess so a trip to Brico for a VMC unit and some hose I think. By the way how do you do superscripts on these French keyboards?..............JR

[albertstanley105479@yahoo.com]

In Ireland, the laws and regulations needed to comply with the Directive were brought into force by the Radiological Protection Act, 1991 (Ionising Radiation) Order, 2000 (Statutory Instrument 125 of 2000). The Order sets a National Reference Level for radon in workplaces of 400 Bq/m3 averaged over any three-month period. In accordance with the Order, an employer or self-employed person responsible for a workplace is required to measure radon levels in the workplace if he or she is directed to do so by the RPII. The RPII has produced Guidance Notes for Planning Radon Surveys in Workplaces, which should be studied when planning radon surveys in workplaces.

If radon levels in a workplace are found to exceed the National Reference Level, the Order requires that the employer take measures to safeguard the health of workers. The employer must evaluate whether remedial measures to reduce the radon levels in the workplace should be undertaken. Where this evaluation shows that remedial measures are necessary, the employer must implement such measures as soon as is practicable.

Where remedial measures are not shown to be justified or where they fail to bring levels below the National Reference Level, the employer must apply radiation protection measures in the workplace. Such measures might, for example, include the organisation of work schedules to reduce exposure to radon, making and keeping radon exposure records, medical surveillance and controlling access to areas in the workplace where radon levels have been shown to be high.

Rates. Now to detect the radon gas here is the some of the sites which i found https://beonhome.com/best-radon-detector/

[richard51]

Not sure what the last post is about but I would suggest this website is still the best place to start when in France:

https://www.irsn.fr/FR/Recherche/Pages/RechercheAvancee.aspx?k=radon

NB Radiation Protection Advisor certification in the UK is valid for 5 years before a portfolio of work needs to be submitted for renewal. Mine ran out in 2015 and was not renewed.