While it is well known that levels of Radon radioactive gas are high in granite areas to the west of us in Devon and Cornwall, it is not so commonly known that the chalky area in which we live is also subject to high levels of Radon emission. 3% of houses are now considered to be at risk of exceeding safe levels. Older houses with basements are considered to be especially vulnerable. An annual average level of 200 Becquerels/cubic metre (Bq/m³. one Becquerel is one radioactive decay per second ) is considered to be the level at which action should be taken, usually by a continuously running fan to extract the Radon.
The danger is that the Radon attaches itself to dust particles which are inhaled and remain in the lungs and may cause cancer.
I have been monitoring the Radon level for a number of years, firstly by the official government test which gave my yearly average as 180 Bq/m³, comfortably below the action level. I am now running my own monitor which has shown a long term average of about 170 Bq/m³. There is a considerable seasonal variation of the Radon level, but today's short term reading does give me cause for concern.
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The long term average shown of 169 Bq/m³ is satisfactory, but the short term average (over 7 days) of 466 Bq/m³ which is unusually high, and could lead, in time, to a dangerous level.
For the government test see https://www.ukradon.org
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