How can you measure the amount of radon in your home?

After smoking, radon is the most important cause of lung cancer in our country. Approximately 7 percent of all lung cancer cases are related to exposure to radon. The gas is naturally released from the soil and from certain building materials. You can check yourself whether you live in a radon risk area and you can even measure the radon concentration in your home.

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that is naturally present in soil and rocks. When radon enters buildings from the soil through cracks in the floor, joints between walls, the crawl space or via water pipes, it can accumulate and reach high concentrations. It is odorless, colorless and tasteless. If you inhale radon, it can reach the lungs and damage the tissue. This can cause cancer.

The radon concentration in the air is measured in Becquerel per cubic meter (Bq/m³). In Belgium, the average radon concentration in homes is 46 Bq/m³, although it can vary greatly from one region to another and even between buildings. From 300 Bq/m³, it is recommended to take measures to reduce the radon concentration. For example, by installing an adapted ventilation system.

Lung cancer from radon

The risk of developing lung cancer depends on a number of factors: the radon concentration in your home, the time you spend there and whether or not you are a smoker.

The higher the radon concentration in your home and the more time you spend there, the higher your risk of lung cancer. If you are also a smoker, that risk increases even more, since the harmful effects of radon and tobacco compound each other.

Where does radon occur?

In Belgium, radon is mainly found in the Ardennes because the rocky subsoil there generally contains more radon. In addition, the rocks in the Ardennes are also more often cracked, which makes it easier for radon to end up in the atmosphere. Because more radon is released, it can also enter buildings more easily. If you want to know more about the radon concentration in your municipality, consult the?interactive map of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control (FANC).?

In addition to the influence of the subsoil, the construction properties of the building also influence the radon concentration inside your home. For example, a very well-ventilated building with an airtight floor slab will have a lower radon concentration than an insulated building without ventilation and without a solid subfloor, regardless of the radon concentration in the subsoil.

Measuring radon in the home

You can measure the radon concentration in your home using a radon detector. This is a cylindrical pot containing a sensitive film that registers the radon radiation. After analyzing the film, the radon concentration can be determined. You must place this detector in the most used room of the house for three months (between October and May). This is usually the kitchen or the living room.

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