Radon

What is Radon?

Radon is a natural radioactive gas. You cannot see, hear, feel or taste it. It comes from the tiny amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils. Radon is present in all parts of the UK, although the gas disperses outdoors, so levels are generally very low. Radon is mostly associated with the granite geology of the south west of England, but high levels of radon can be found outside of granite areas.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has advised that there should be no indoor radon above the Action Level of 200 becquerels per cubic metre. Most homes in the UK have fairly low radon levels, with an average of about 20 becquerels per cubic metre.

Is my home or new home is affected?

You can find out if your house is in an area that may be affected by radon by going to the My Spelthorne - Planning constraints (opens new window).

Radon is a standard question in the conveyancing process. It is on the CON29 form and appears as section 3.13 of environmental searches.

If in doubt, the estimated radon potential for an individual home can be obtained via an online search on the new UK Radon website (opens new window). A valid postal address and postcode is required and there is a charge for each property search (approx. £4).

What are the possible health effects of Radon?

We all breathe it in throughout our lives - for most UK residents, radon accounts for half of their total annual radiation dosage. The main danger from high radon exposure is the increased risk of lung cancer from long-term exposure over a lifetime. Risks from short-term exposures are very small. There is no indication that the risk to children is any greater than that for adults.

More information about Radon including risks, levels, and reduction can be found on Public Health England's UK Radon website.

What do I do if my home is in a Radon Affected Area?

Even in Affected Areas most homes have low levels of radon, and high levels can generally be reduced at fairly moderate cost.

The only way to find out for sure if a particular house has a high radon level is to test it, so if the property is in an Affected Area the vendor should be asked if a result is available. Otherwise, your solicitor should be asked to arrange retention of a sum to cover radon mitigation work should a subsequent test show it to be necessary.

Public Health England sells radon measurement packs for homes and workplaces. Small radon detectors can be sent directly to householders by post, and returned at the end of a three-month period - so no visit is required. Radon causes invisible damage to the plastic inside the detector. This damage can be measured and used to calculate the radon level. The householder is sent the result by letter with advice about what this means and on ways to reduce the levels. The cost of ordering a radon detector pack from the Public Health England is around £50.