Radon gas is colourless and odourless, and is produced from the natural radioactive decay of uranium, a mineral found in all rocks and soils.
While it gets diluted pretty quickly outdoors, radon gas can get extremely concentrated indoors, particularly in low-income countries where household air pollution is prevalent due to poor ventilation.
Because it is radioactive, breathing it in consistently could prove to be very damaging to a person’s health, potentially causing cancer.
A Senior Research Scientist at the Commission, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Dr Irene Opoku-Ntim, believes the threat posed by radon gas should be taken as seriously as other pollutants like dust and smoke.
She adds that research has been done on the areas in the country with high concentrations of Radon Gas, with links drawn to earthquake-prone locations.
“We’ve done a bit of research. We have a radon map for Ghana, which is a preliminary one, so we’re still working on it. That shows that places that have high radon concentration correlate with places that have earthquakes. We’ve done a bit of research in the high Radon-prone areas: Weija-Kasoa, McCarthy Hill. We have the faultlines that pass through, and within these faultlines, radon concentration is high,” she told Joy News.
The WHO estimates that radon causes between 3% to 14% of all lung cancer cases in a country. Research from 2024 noted lung cancer as the 14th leading cause of cancer deaths in Ghana, from data curated in 2020.
With such high risk associated with the inhalation of radon gas, Dr Irene Opoku-Ntim urged Ghanaians to have the soil tested before they undertake any construction projects, particularly in the identified areas.
“If you are building, contact us to test your soil for you. If we test your soil and the levels are high, we will advise you on how to build,” she said.
“Nowadays, we build by casting our foundation, laying polyethene. It’s another way of reducing radon. Because it’s gas, any space it gets, it can enter your room. So if you have cracks in your home, make sure you seal them; if you have holes in the windows, make sure you seal them.
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.
