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

With its publication, the Directive not only acknowledges the latest international research results but reopens the scientific panorama of the control and monitoring of Radon concentrations, which had a period of stasis succeeding the completed accomplishment of the previous European Directive 96/29/Euratom. In view of what will be the national accomplishments of the ED 59/2013/Euratom, scheduled within February 2018, in order to succeed next national strategies, the construction of an innovative approach based on an interdisciplinary methodology applicable on the European scale is necessary and urgent. The challenge posed by this task is a very demanding one as since 1990, the approach of developing national strategies has not been the same in the different European countries, leading to a broad range of different practices and regulations. Identifying the strong points among these ones and integrating the most recent scientific results in the field is a strategic way for the developing of a complete comprehensive approach as required by the new ED. After a deep bibliographic review to identify the most significant results, strength, weakness and critical issue of different approaches adopted in the scientific panorama, the author’s ambition is to propose a new adaptive general approach for the assessment, planning and prevention of the impact, on anthropic and natural environments, due to the exceeding of Radon gas concentrations from threshold values and the corresponding risk associated to indoor radon exposures. The methodology aims to be a first proposal in the scientific panorama accomplishing the most recent regulatory requirements... [edited by Author]