The cost effectiveness of radon reduction programmes in domestic housing in England and Wales: The impact of improved radon mapping and housing trends

• Published in: Environment international Vol. 59; pp. 73 - 85
• Main Authors: Denman, A.R., Sinclair, J., Phillips, P.S., Crockett, R.G.M., Groves-Kirkby, C.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Biological effects of radiation; Cost effectiveness; Cost-Benefit Analysis; England; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Flats; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Houses; Housing - standards; Housing - trends; Humans; Ionizing radiations; Medical sciences; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Radiation Protection - economics; Radon - adverse effects; Radon - analysis; Radon affected areas; Radon mapping; Radon remediation; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; Toxicology; Wales; England; United Kingdom; Great Britain; Europe; Wales; British Isles, England; British Isles, Wales; Radon remediation; Houses; Cost effectiveness; Radon affected areas; Radon mapping; Flats; Cartography; Natural radioactivity; Radon; Trend; Housing; Reduction; Health economy; Cost efficiency analysis
• ISSN: 0160-4120; 1873-6750
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.05.012

In the UK, excessive levels of radon gas have been detected in domestic housing. Areas where 1% of existing homes were found to be over the Action Level of 200Bq·m−3 were declared to be Radon Affected Areas. Building Regulations have been introduced which require that, for areas where between 3% and 10% of existing houses are above the Action Level, new homes should be built with basic radon protection using a membrane, and that, where 10% or more of existing homes exceed this level, new homes should be built with full radon protection.
Initially these affected areas followed administrative boundaries, known as Counties. However, with increasing numbers of measurements of radon levels in domestic homes recorded in the national database, these areas have been successively refined into smaller units – 5km grid squares in 1999, down to 1km grid squares in 2007.
One result is the identification of small areas with raised radon levels within regions where previously no problem had been identified. In addition, some parts of areas that were previously considered radon affected are now considered low, or no, risk. Our analysis suggests that the net result of improved mapping is to increase the number of affected houses. Further, the process is more complex for local builders, and inspectors, who need to work out whether radon protection in new homes is appropriate.
Our group has assessed the cost-effectiveness of radon remediation programmes, and has applied this analysis to consider the cost-effectiveness of providing radon protection in both new and existing homes. This includes modelling the potential failure rate of membranes, and whether testing radon levels in new homes is appropriate. The analysis concludes that it is more cost effective to provide targeted radon protection in high radon areas, although this introduces more complexity.
The paper also considers the trend in housing to a greater proportion of apartments, the regional variations in types of housing and the decreasing average number of occupants in each dwelling, and concludes that data and methods are now available to respond to the health risks of radon at a local level, in keeping with a general initiative to prioritise responses to health and social welfare issues at a more local level.
•We model the impact of improved radon mapping, which leads to identification of smaller radon affected areas.•We consider the implications of lack of public awareness in newly designated radon affected areas.•We consider housing trends, and the regional variations in types of housing.•We consider the cost-effectiveness of radon remediation programmes for both new and existing housing.•We conclude that data and methods are now available to respond to the health risks of radon at a local level.