Seeking Out a Silent Killer
Developing the first test to identify Radon
Exposure to Radon, an odourless, colourless gas, is a health hazard, and is responsible for more deaths in Sweden each year than road traffic accidents and 14% of all lung cancer diagnoses in the country. Eurofins (as MRM Konsult) commercialised the first method to test for Radon in air, which is still used all over the world today, to protect societies from this dangerous gas.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is produced when uranium in rocks and soil decays. It can only be identified using specialised equipment and test methods. In the open-air, the gas is diluted to harmless levels. But in enclosed spaces it can build up to dangerous amounts and become a health hazard. Radon from the ground can enter buildings and houses through cracks in floors or gaps around piping or cables. Radon poisoning does not cause obvious symptoms often associated with radioactive substances, but rather long-term exposure can lead to the development of lung cancer.
Based in Luleå, Sweden, Eurofins, as MRM Konsult, was the first laboratory in the world to make testing for Radon in air commercially available. A method to detect Radon in indoor air, known as the “track etch” method was first developed in the 1990s. Well regarded for its reliability, the method, which has now become the ISO Standard 11665-4, is a global reference and used by laboratories across the world.
The test is carried out by placing a detector in a building for approximately two months. As air diffuses through the detector, any amount of Radon in the air is measured. The detector contains a special plastic film which is damaged when Radon is present in the air. The lesions on the film are then analysed to assess the levels of Radon present.
Other than in indoor air, Eurofins is also testing for Radon directly in soil, using a method based on measuring radioactivity with active charcoal.
In 2013, the European Union introduced regulation requiring workplaces to monitor for the presence and analyse the level of Radon in the indoor environments where their employees work. Eurofins Radon Testing Sweden conducts approximately 15% of all Radon measurement tests carried out across the world.
The science behind
The method to analyse Radon in an indoor environment is based on passive sampling (using a collecting medium to accumulate chemical pollutants in the environment over a longer period of time) and uses integrated measurement equipment and deferred analysis to determine the average active concentration of Radon in a space. Eurofins’ passive Radon detector has a broad measuring range. The detector can be used for long-term radon measurements or short-term screenings. It contains a plastic film and a lid made of electronically conductive plastic. When Radon enters the device, it decays into its “daughter products” also known as “decay products”, thereby releasing alpha radiation and hence energy, and this energy causes damage to the plastic film. The lesions on the film are then assessed by the amount of damage per cm2; and their shape, depth and size.
