2023-11-11 13:32:00
The Province of Luxembourg has just relaunched its radon awareness campaign to remind citizens that it is important to measure it in their homes. “Our province is the most affected in Belgium,” warns Patricia Deckers, project manager at the Province of Luxembourg. We know that radon is the second cause of lung cancer following tobacco. However, more than 90% of Luxembourg households have not yet tested their homes, even though we have been raising public awareness of the problem systematically in October and November since 2006.”
22 municipalities out of 44
More than half of Luxembourg’s municipalities, or 24 out of 44, are considered at high risk. “The districts of Bastogne and Neufchâteau, with the exception of the municipalities of Tellin and Wellin as well as the majority of municipalities in the district of Marche-en-Famenne are in the red, which means that radon has been detected in more than 10% of the houses tested, continues Patricia Deckers. Last winter, 774 detectors were analyzed. Among them, 21% were above the standard of 300 Bq/m³, 10% were above the value d intervention of 600 Bq/m³. Some even far exceeded 900 Bq/m³.”
Radioactive
Radon is a radioactive gas naturally found in soils and rocks, especially those containing shale. It is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It is impossible to detect it without a device. When inhaled, it can irradiate the lungs and cause lung cancer in the long term. This risk, real for everyone, is greatly increased among smokers.
“Radon accumulates in buildings, mainly in autumn and winter, when the premises are poorly or poorly ventilated,” explains Patricia Deckers. With the energy crisis we are going through, the measured values can be particularly high. The only A reliable way to know if you are exposed to radon is to do a test using a small box which must be placed for three months in a room on the ground floor before being analyzed.”
The detector, sent between October and January, costs €15. This price includes the analysis, but also the support provided to remedy if the rate is too high. Indeed, if standards are exceeded, the Province of Luxembourg offers free intervention by a specialist to help citizens find the solutions best suited to their home. Concretely, it is possible to order a detector via the online form on actionradon.be or by contacting SAMI-Lux by telephone on 084/31 05 03 or by email at [email protected].
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