Householders were today urged to carry out radon tests after record levels of the cancer-causing gas were discovered at two homes in Co Kerry.
Two houses in Tralee had some of the highest levels of the naturally-occurring radioactive substance in Europe, said the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).
Measurements in one of the homes showed up to 70 times the acceptable level of the gas, exposing the occupants to a radiation dose the same as nearly 47 chest X-rays every day.
David Fenton, radon advice manager at the RPII, said the levels were among the highest ever measured in Europe, and the third and fourth highest ever found in Ireland.
“Many people in Ireland are living with very dangerous levels of radiation,” he warned.
“We implore householders to take this seriously and measure the radon level in their home as a step towards reducing the risk of lung cancer to their family.”
Radon is the second biggest cause of lung cancer in Ireland after smoking and is directly linked to about 200 lung cancer deaths every year.
Mr Fenton said it was likely there are more homes throughout the country with very high radon levels and urged people to test for the gas.
The RPII has a website (www.rpii.ie) database that allows people to check their address on an interactive map which pinpoints danger zones.
Tests cost between €40 and €80. More than 90,000 homes around the country are estimated to have high radon levels with recent high measurements in Kerry, Sligo, Mayo, Clare and Tipperary.
Work is being carried out on the Kerry homes which will then be re-tested to check if the levels have reduced.
PA