Development of an adaptive hierarchical multi-scale approach for the assessment, planning and prevention of the impact on anthropic and natural environments due to the exceeding of radon gas concentrations above threshold values and the corresponding risk associated to indoor radon exposures

Abstract

Human exposure to natural Naturally Occurring Ionizing Radiation (NOIR), as that one related to Radon and its progeny, has been established as harmful by the worldwide scientific community and acknowledged by many international institutions (UNSCEAR, WHO, IAEA..). There is sufficient evidence that the long exposure to Radon in confined spaces, increase the risk of lung cancer. In the last decades, some studies reported a suggestive evidence of positive association with leukemia, cancers of the extra-thoracic airways and Alzheimer, too. Therefore, in order to protect the health of population, many countries adopted specific legislations, in the form of suitable programs for radon measurement and rational interventions, to limit radon exposure in residential buildings and workplaces. The last European directive on the matter, published on December 5, 2013, acquiring the most recent epidemiological studies, has introduced, for the first time, the management of the problem of human exposure to ionizing radiations of natural and artificial origin, in the most complete and general way. In particular, concerning Radon, Member States are required to provide: 1. the reduction of the past adopted reference value of Indoor Radon Activity Concentration (IRAC) (art.74); 2. the assessment of the External Exposure (EXEX) from some building materials (art.75); 3. the adoption of an approach able to identify areas where indoor Radon activity concentrations are expected to overcome the new reference values, and to provide measures for the prevention of Radon entry into buildings (art.103). .. [edited by Author]