Where is radon found?

Put simply, radon is everywhere. It can be found in soil throughout the United Kingdom, however the concentration may vary depending on the type of soil and the amount of uranium it contains. Even in areas classified as low-risk, radon can accumulate indoors in sufficiently high concentrations to cause a risk to health.

In order to reduce the number of lung cancer cases in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency advises the target value for radon in indoor air should not be greater than 100 Bq/m³. However, there are a variety of reasons why this threshold is often exceeded, no matter where you live in the country.

When we conducted our own studies, we found that awareness of radon and associated risks is relatively good in the UK. Most people understand that radon can be found anywhere; however the majority of respondents to our survey said that they did not believe radon was present where they lived.

Benefits of reducing radon content

A common reason homeowners do not measure radon is that they believe any remedial works will be expensive and complicated. However, this is rarely the case. If measurements indicate radon content above the 100 Bq/m³ target value, there are simple, cost-effective solutions available to address the problem.

The reduction of high radon levels is therefore an affordable form of life insurance, reducing risk to family members of long-term health problems. Furthermore, by addressing a high radon content level that exceeds the target value, you can increase the value of your home should you chose to sell.

How much does it cost to fix a high radon content level?

Remedial works to reduce a high radon level costs on average between £3,000 and £5,000. Compared to the value of a home, not to mention the reassurance of significantly reduced health risk, we consider this a sound investment.