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UK Radon Awareness Week Buy One get One Free Promotion!
As part of UK Radon Awareness Week 2019 (4th to 10th November) we are offering a special Buy One Get One Free promotion on our 3-month Radon Testing Kits. Throughout the month of November, you can buy 2 detectors for £25 using the promotion code RAW2019. This offer applies to domestic and commercial properties. To purchase the 3-month Radon Testing Kits click here
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (the leading cause in non-smokers) and an increased awareness of Radon will lead to a reduction in the number of avoidable lung cancer cases claiming lives each year.
BCS Property Projects provide specialist radon testing and mitigation services throughout the entire UK. With our specialist surveyors on hand to help. Don’t leave it to chance. Contact us on 01325 728039 or email info@bcspreservation.co.uk for your detectors today.
Radon is a naturally occurring colourless, odourless, radioactive gas that can affect properties of all types, ages, locations and uses. It is formed by the radioactive decay of the small amounts of Uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.
Radon levels in the air that we breathe outside are very low, but the levels indoors can become much higher. When the Uranium in the soil and rocks decay, the Radon formed permeates the ground into the open air. It is quickly diluted to low concentrations, however, if it rises into a building, it can become trapped and build to dangerous levels.
When the concentration of Radon gas is high, tiny radioactive particles are inhaled and some are deposited in the lungs. The radiation from these particles damage the lung tissue, and over a long period of exposure may cause lung cancer.
The risks are particularly higher for smokers and ex-smokers.
Official statistics estimate that over 1100 people in the UK die every year from lung disease as a result of radon exposure.
Although certain parts of the country are believed to be at a greater risk from Radon due to the underlying geology and varying amounts of Uranium present, any property in any location can contain elevated levels. The latest set of indicative maps published by Public Health England (PHE) show that Radon can be found nationwide, UK Radon Map.
The air pressure within a building is usually lower than the pressure in the soil and rocks around the building’s foundation. Radon enters the building through a process referred to as advection. This is where the gas moves from a point of higher pressure (the ground, soil and rocks) to a point of lower pressure (the building). The difference in pressure causes the building to act as a vacuum, drawing Radon in through foundation cracks and other openings. It is at this point that the Radon becomes trapped within the building and where the levels can start to build up.
The only way to know whether elevated levels of Radon are present is to place a detector in the property for a period of time. In a standard domestic property, one detector will be used in the ground floor living room and one in a first floor bedroom. In a commercial property, the number of detectors required generally depends upon the size, layout and use of the building.
The detectors are then analysed in a laboratory to determine the level of radiation they were exposed to and a written report detailing the results will be provided.
If elevated levels of Radon gas are detected, we are one of the country’s most experience contractors in Radon remediation. Our specialist surveyors will design a system based upon the severity of the problem and the type of construction.
To prevent Radon from entering the property, a specially calibrated fan can be installed to reverse the pressure differential between the ground, soil and rocks and the inside of the property. Alternatively, a sump can be created beneath the building to become a lower point of pressure.
Once any remedial works have been carried out, BCS will always supply a set of radon detectors so testing can be repeated to confirm that the concentration has fallen to an acceptable level.
In this special video, internationally renowned radiation biologist Dr Aaron Goodarzi explains how exposure to radon can cause DNA damage leading to lung cancer, and why protecting children from exposure to high levels of radon is particularly important.
