This article is from page 5 of the 2006-11-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
A CLARE businessman has told a conference on Radon that six out of eight houses that had been fitted with a radon barrier showed that the barrier had ruptured.
Anthony McLaughlin of the Clarecastlebased Radon Aware Group told the Galway conference that his company had developed a system to check for leaks after construction.
He was speaking just days after it was revealed that internationally, between six and 15 per cent of deaths from lung cancer could be attributed to exposure to Radon, with Ireland coming in at 13 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Builders kindly let us survey eight homes post construction and leaks were found in six,” said McLaughlin.
“This is not surprising as there has never been a physical system to help the builder.”
McLaughlin’s company can arrange “tests of the indoor radon level using the Landauer laboratories in the US an they can also test the membrane for leaks, using specially adapted equipment that I brought in from the UK, and undertake remediation work if necessary.”
The leak detection equipment uses a long flexible hose, which is inserted into the cavity under the house. It pumps in gas and smoke, and if smoke appears, it confirms the presence of a leak or leaks. Membranes can then be repaired.” Radon is a colourless, odourless gas which is harmless in the open air but can build up to dangerous concentrations when trapped in a house.