A pilot study of radon levels in certified passive house buildings

The international Passive House Standard delivers high thermal comfort based on the principles of excellent building fabric and balanced mechanical heat recovery ventilation. Considering that the typical person in industrial countries (such as the UK) spends ∼90% of their time indoors, there are surprisingly few academic studies on air quality in the home. Indoor air quality and the prevalence of overheating are attracting an increasing amount of research attention across Europe, but post occupancy monitoring of indoor radon concentrations is severely underrepresented, especially in Ireland and the UK. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and known carcinogen that presents a potential risk to occupier health. This pilot study investigates measured radon levels in certified Passive House buildings in Northern Ireland and presents an overview of technical radon prevention design options for new builds and mitigation measures for existing buildings. Initial findings indicate that buildings built to...