Once trapped indoors, people breathe it in over time without even knowing. The World Health Organisation says indoor radon levels above 100 becquerels per cubic metre pose a health risk and should trigger action to reduce exposure.
Researchers in Ghana have already identified some areas with higher concentrations of radon.
“ So we have a radon map for Ghana, which is a preliminary one that we ' ve done. We are still working on that. That shows that places that have high radon concentration is being correlated with places that have earthquakes. So we ' ve done a bit of research in the high radon areas, that is, Weija, Kasoa, McCarthy Hill, along those stretches. So we have the fault lines that pass through. So within these fault lines, radon in those areas is high because radon is being correlated with earthquakes.”
But scientists say there are ways to reduce the risks.
“ If you test the soil and the levels are high, we will advise you on how to build. We see that nowadays, we build by casting our foundation, laying this polyethene. It ' s one of the ways to reduce the impact. Any space that it gets, it can enter your room. So if you have cracks in your homes, make sure that you seal them.”
Researchers say greater awareness and testing could help families better protect themselves from the hidden pollutant that many people breathe every day without realising it.
This story was a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the Clean Air Fund which had no say in the story’ s content.
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