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Project title

PRevnation through Integrated Outcomes: Reducing radon ImpacTs on Irish Society and Economy

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

Maynooth University (MU)

Lead Applicant

James McGrath

Project Abstract

Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and poses a significant public health risk in Ireland. An estimated 170,000 homes currently exceed the national radon reference level, contributing to approximately 350 radon-related lung cancer cases each year. With Ireland’s growing demand for housing, enhancing radon prevention in new buildings presents a critical opportunity to deliver long-term health benefits. However, to support regulatory updates, comprehensive and context-specific evidence on cost-effectiveness, combined with up-to-date economic evidence, is essential. Proposed preventative measures must be grounded in technically rigorous predictions of radon reduction, ensuring they are both scientifically justified and economically viable. The PRIORITISE project aims to address this need by conducting an interdisciplinary assessment estimating (i) an up-to-date economic burden of radon-related cancer and (ii) examining the cost-effectiveness of alternative radon prevention strategies within Ireland’s residential building sector. It tackles a significant policy gap by producing Ireland-specific economic evidence to inform investments in radon prevention. Central to the project is a newly developed cost-effectiveness model specifically designed for the Irish context to identify the most optimal strategy, considering both the economic and health impacts of alternative prevention strategies. This model will evaluate the impacts related to direct healthcare costs (such as hospitalisation, treatment, and palliative care), indirect societal costs (such as productivity losses and premature mortality) and health burden (measured as quality-adjusted life-years) linked to radon-induced lung cancer and the differential reduction in each of these items associated with different prevention strategies. By integrating building physics models, construction forecasts, and national radon maps, PRIORITISE will conduct scenario-based forecasting and estimate the number of preventable lung cancer cases and deaths under various radon prevention strategies in new buildings. These projections will align with current and emerging building regulations and will be supported by parametric modelling and uncertainty analysis. This will then be combined with economic data in a cost-effectiveness analysis, which will quantify the health and economic impacts of radon prevention in new residential construction. Key outputs will include cost-per-case prevented and cost per Quality-Adjusted Life Year metrics, enabling policymakers to prioritise interventions that deliver the greatest return on investment in terms of lives saved and healthcare costs avoided. By placing economic impact and health outcomes at the centre of environmental decision-making, PRIORITISE offers a transformative model for public health protection. The analysis will utilise an ‘incremental’ cost-effectiveness analysis, whereby each prevention strategy is examined against the next most effective, and one strategy is identified as optimal in terms of resource allocation. It will empower policymakers, regulators, and the construction sector with the tools and evidence needed to make informed, cost-effective decisions that safeguard lives and optimise public spending. Ultimately, PRIORITISE will shift Ireland’s approach to radon from reactive mitigation to prevention. Its outputs will directly inform national strategies, regulatory updates, and public awareness campaigns, embedding radon prevention into the future of Irish housing. In doing so, the project not only aims to reduce the burden of radon-related disease but also integrates environmental health science into sustainable development policy.

Grant Approved

€318,996.60

Research Hub

Delivering a Healthy Environment

Research Theme

n/a

Start Date

31/03/2026

Initial Projected Completion Date

29/02/2028