David Bowen, CTO and Founder, Logicor
It might have passed you by, but UK Radon Awareness Week took place earlier this month. The campaign, run by the UK Radon Association, seeks to increase the general public’s understanding about the risk this element poses to homeowners. Particularly, exposure to this gas is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers and responsible for over 1000 deaths in the UK each year. It’s an issue which I think housebuilders and developers should be acutely aware of.
Radon proves so problematic because it’s not detectable to any of the five senses. Colourless and odourless, it is also radioactive and, as it’s only detectable with specialised instruments, human exposure normally occurs long before the risk is registered.
Radiation exposure from radon arises from inhaling its short-lived, solid radioactive decay products which includes harmful isotopes of bismuth, lead and polonium. It doesn’t pose a huge threat outdoors as these constituents can disperse quickly in the open air. Indoors is a different matter, particularly in poorly ventilated rooms where they tend to stick to airborne particulates which can then be inhaled. The risk is inevitably increased, especially in a double-glazed, airtight property: the current standard approach for new build and retrofitted properties.
The danger can be further exacerbated if the property is fitted with a convection heating system. The problem with any kind of convection heating system, gas central heating, air source heat pump or storage heaters is that, having been heated, the air has to be trapped within the confines of the home to keep it warm. It will equally, and certainly, lead to the entrapment of radon.
The good news is that there are a number of cost-effective products and systems which housebuilders can consider employing when approaching their builds to reduce levels of radon in homes, especially in areas where high levels of the element naturally occur. This includes things such as radon sumps and positive ventilation, as well as reconsidering how heat is produced and retained within the property such that the windows aren’t required to be constantly shut. infrared heating technology offers a potential solution.
As we look towards the Future Homes Standard consultation and beyond, it’s also time to consider an investigation into the interaction between radon concentrations and energy efficiency measure in both new builds and retrofitted properties. It’s a topic which has become too important to ignore.
Fundamentally we need to cultivate a better understanding of the risks posed by radon and how current norms in building standards might actually be causing as much harm to our health as they are delivering comfort to our daily lives.