A map reveals how at risk you are from a killer gas that is the second highest cause of lung cancer in the UK.
Radon might not be instantly recognisable as a substance – but the invisible radioactive gas is causing more than 1,000 premature deaths a year.
This is more than the amount of people who die each year from accidents at work and from drink driving.
In short, radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas. It is formed by the radioactive decay of the small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.
The Government is so concerned about the risk of the gas that the UK Health Security Agency has an interactive map where you can check how at risk your area is from the substance that could be lurking in your home.
The darker the red on the map the more at risk your area is – the map showing higher concentrations located in Pembrokeshire, Wales, Cornwall, England and the Yorkshire Dales, England. You can check your area’s risk here.
The UK Health Security Agency says on its website: “The chances of a higher level depend on the type of ground. UK Health Security Agency has published a map showing where high levels are more likely.
“The darker the colour the greater the chance of a higher level. The chance is less than one home in a hundred in the white areas and greater than one in three in the darkest areas.
“The map should not be used for basements, cellars or underground sites, all of which should be considered as having an increased chance of high radon levels, regardless of location.”
It goes on to explain that radon increases your risk of lung cancer – and that the higher the radon, the longer the exposure, the greater the risk.
Radon causes over 1,100 deaths from lung cancer each year in the UK – and the risk from radon is higher if the person is an ex-smoker and significantly greater for current smokers.
If you do live in an area that’s got higher radon levels then there are some simple words of advice to follow: check, measure, act
Check if your property is in an area affected by radon, order a radon measurement pack and finally carry out remedial work to reduce radon levels as low as possible.
