1. What is radon?

Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas that is formed by the radioactive decay of naturally occurring uranium found in rocks and soil. It can sometimes build up in large concentrations in buildings.

  1. What is the danger?

There are health risks associated with radon.  High exposure to radon can increase the risk of lung cancer. For most people, radon is the single largest source of radiation exposure if their home or workplace has high levels. According to Cancer Research, exposure to indoor radon gas is linked to 4% of lung cancer cases in the UK. Radon is considered as part of the environmental search when purchasing a house and the search will reveal whether or not the property is in a radon affected area.

  1. Which parts of the UK are most at risk?

Every building in the UK contains radon but the levels are usually low. It depends on the type of ground as to how high the radon levels will be. Parts of Cornwall, Devon and Wales generally have higher radon levels. Public Health England have a useful interactive map which shows which areas have higher radon levels.

  1. How can I find out whether my house is affected?

Testing your property for radon is not difficult. A small radon detector is used to assess the radon levels in a property. The detector needs to be left for around 3 months to allow for variations in the radon level. The result will give the yearly average radon level in your home and will tell you whether it is above or below the Action Level.

  1. What is the Action Level?

The Action Level is the point at which radon levels are considered high and measures should be taken to reduce the level of radon. Radon levels should be reduced in homes where the average is more than 200 becquerels per metre cubed. The result of the radon test determines whether or not the property is above the Action Level. If a property is affected by high radon levels, remedial works will need to be done to reduce the radon levels. The average cost of remedial works is between £500-£3,000. Radon solutions include replacing or adding ventilation bricks in outside walls or installing a small pump in the loft that gently blows in air.

If you are purchasing a property found to be in a radon affected area, you may want your conveyancer to hold back some money from the purchase price until a full 3 month radon test can be done on the property once you have moved in.  If the 3 month test reveals radon levels above the Action Level then the money can pay for remedial work to be carried out. This would need to be agreed by the seller, however.

Further information on radon can be found on the Public Health England (PHE) website www.ukradon.org/information