Radon and PIV

What is Radon?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It originates from the decay of uranium,which is present in small quantities in all rocks and soils. It is colourless, odourless and tasteless and can only be measured using special equipment. Because it is a gas, radon can move freely through the soil enabling it to enter the atmosphere. When radon surfaces in the open air, it is quickly diluted to harmless concentrations, but when it enters an enclosed space, such as a house, it can sometimes accumulate to unacceptably high concentrations.

Radon can enter a building from the ground through small cracks in floors and through gaps around pipes or cables. Radon tends to be sucked from the ground into a building because the indoor air pressure is usually slightly lower than outdoors. This pressure difference occurs because warm indoor air is less dense than outdoor air.

Radon decays to form tiny radioactive particles, some of which remain suspended in the air. When inhaled into the lungs these particles are deposited in the airways and attach themselves to lung tissue. They may damage cells in the lung and this damage may lead to lung cancer in later life. Radon is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organisation. This means that there is direct evidence from human studies to support the link between exposure to radon and the induction of lung cancer.

Radon Remediation Techniques

In recent years a considerable body of experience has been built up on effective and relatively inexpensive remedial techniques for reducing indoor radon concentrations.

Radon remediation works either by preventing the entry of radon into a building from the soil or by removing it after it has entered by means of improved indoor ventilation. The most common remediation techniques include: sub-floor depressurisation (radon sump), increased under-floor ventilation, positive pressurisation (PIV), increased indoor ventilation and the sealing of cracks and gaps in the floor and around service entry points.