People in Ireland are exposed to more radiation on average than our European counterparts because of radon gas in homes and workplaces. The Environmental Protection Agency and Health Information and Quality Authority’s latest report ‘Ionising Radiation – National Dose Report’ assessed radiation exposure from the air we breathe, medical procedures, our diet and our environment They found that over 99 percent of the radiation we come into contact with is from natural sources and medical exposure like X-rays and CT scans while 7% comes from food and water. Cosmic radiation is responsible for 8.9 percent of our total exposure – 2 percent of which comes from flying. While some 5.8 percent comes from gamma radiation in the ground and 8.4% of our exposure comes from thoron, which assessments due in Irish homes this year. READ MORE: TD and senator call for independent ‘risk assessment’ on floating gas facility READ MORE: Irish Greens celebrating ‘historic’ victory for nature with new EU law But almost 60 percent of the radiation we are exposed to comes from radioactive gas, radon, in indoor air which is a major cause of lung cancer. According to the report up to 350 new cases of lung cancer in Ireland can be attributed to radon each year. The gas, which comes from the decay of uranium in rocks and soils, has no smell, colour or taste. EPA director, Dr Micheal Lehane, said: “Radon is the largest contributor to radiation dose in Ireland. If there is a high radon level in your home, it is exposing you and your family to unnecessary radiation. “The good news is that radon is easy to test for and solutions are available to reduce high levels where necessary. “When building a house it is critical to seal the base of the building to prevent radon from getting into your house in the first place. “For existing houses, we urge people to test for radon, and remediate if necessary, as this is the only way of protecting you and your family from this cancer-causing gas.” According to the report, the average dose of radiation people in Ireland are exposed to remains similar to 10 years ago but has reduced in medical settings through technological advances. HIQA’s director of healthcare regulation, Sean Egan, said: “It is encouraging to see the decrease in amounts of ionising radiation received from medical exposures over the past 10 years. “Since HIQA began regulating ionising radiation facilities in 2019, we have seen increased compliance with the regulations year-on-year. This means that services are considering how best to use equipment to meet the intended diagnostic or treatment goal while keeping exposure of the patient as low as possible, reducing the risk of harm to patients. “We will continue to engage with services to ensure that this good practice continues.” Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
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