Irish people exposed to higher level of radiation

IRISH PEOPLE ARE exposed to higher levels of radiation than previously thought, according to new figures from the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland (RPII).

The most comprehensive study ever undertaken by the institute has found that Irish exposure to radiation is more than one third higher than the international average and that the cancer causing gas radon is the primary source of radiation exposure in Ireland.

Exposure to radiation from medical procedures, typically X-rays, is on the increase, but radiation doses attributable to the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant are "low", accounting for just 1 per cent of radiation exposure, according to the report Radiation Doses Received by the Irish Population.

The average dose of radiation that Irish people are being exposed to had been underestimated because an absence of national data meant some figures were taken from international averages, the RPII said.

The latest study, which follows three years of analysis of radiation levels in Ireland, shows that actual doses of radiation received by the public are 9 per cent higher than had been estimated in 2004.

Radon, which is the second biggest cause of lung cancer in Ireland after smoking, accounts for more than 56 per cent of radiation exposure in general and 95 per cent of radiation exposure in the workplace.

This naturally-occurring radioactive gas can become trapped in pockets under buildings and seep inside through cracks in the foundations.

Dr Tony Colgan, director of advisory services with the RPII, said all buildings should be checked for radon. The Department of Education had done an "outstanding job" in addressing the problem of radon in schools. However, more had to be done to keep radon out of homes and businesses, he said.

"The building codes, which have been in place since 1998, are not being enforced. Around 200 lung cancers are caused by radon every year, but radon is one of the few sources of radiation which can be controlled."

Radon testing should be built into the conveyancing processes for home sales, Dr Colgan said. "Any home that is bought or sold should be subject to radon testing. That way we would get a lot of homes done very quickly."

Radon levels vary across the country. However, any house in any area could have a radon problem, even if their neighbours did not, Dr Colgan said.

Radon levels were highest in the west and the south-east with highest levels found in Sligo, where more than 20 per cent of houses had levels of radon above acceptable levels.

New diagnostic techniques were leading to an increase in medical exposure to radiation, however patient demands meant that sometimes people were receiving unnecessary X-rays.

Radiation discharges from Sellafield had continuously reduced since the 1970s and 1980s to a level of about 1 per cent of exposure. Radiation doses in fish and shellfish from the Irish sea were "negligible", Dr Colgan said.