RADPAR: Radon Prevention and Remediation ( )

Transcription

1 RADPAR: Radon Prevention and Remediation ( ) Prof. John G. Bartzis University of Western Macedonia Greece

2 RADPAR is funded by : Executive Agency for Health and Consumers (EAHC) of Directorate General SANCO Health and Consumers

3 Partnership 1. University of Western Macedonia (UOWM), Greece 2. Bundesamt fur Strahlenschutz (BfS), Germany 3. Universitat Bremen (Uni-Bremen), Germany 4. The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford (University of Oxford), UK 5. Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), France 6. Institute Superiore di Sanita (ISS), Italy 7. Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), Austria 8. Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), Norway 9. Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), Finland 10. International Bureau for Environmental Studies (IBES), Belgium 11. National Radiation Protection Institute (SURO), Czech Republic 12. Johannes Gutenberg Universitat (Uni-Mainz), Germany 13. Joint Research Centre (JRC), Italy

4 Aim of RADPAR The RADPAR project aims to assist in reducing the significant public health burden of radon related lung cancers in EU Member States (MS). Note: 1st Place Poster at the 2008 State Radon Poster Contest for students (ages 9-14) sponsored by the National Safety Council (Tennessee), which was held in conjunction with National Radon Action Week.

5 Radon ( 222 Rn) is a naturally occurring radioactive gas, colorless and odorless. Association between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer (even at the relatively low radon levels commonly found in residential buildings); Classified as a Group 1 human carcinogen by IARC; The 2 nd cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke; Strong combined effect of smoking and radon.

6 Project Specific Objectives Improve the strategies that are currently in place and reduce the health burden from radon to the EU population; Develop radon risk communication strategies and approaches for different population target groups in the EU; Establish/review measurement procedures for radon control technologies and sources; Assess the potential conflicts between energy conservation in buildings and radon exposure reduction; Assess the cost-effectiveness of existing and potential radon prevention and remediation strategies in the EU; Design training courses for radon measurement, prevention, remediation, and cost effectiveness analysis.

7 Project Key Activities 1. Improvement of policies and strategies to promote effective radon prevention and remediation: 2. Improvement of radon risk communication strategies 3. Assessment of radon control technologies 4. Cost Effectiveness and Health Benefits of Radon Control Strategies. 5. Dissemination

8 Key Activities 1. Improvement of policies and strategies to promote effective radon prevention and remediation: Assessment of the significance of the health burden from radon to the EU population Critical review and analyses of existing radon control policies and strategies in EU Member States Recommendations for the improvement of existing standards, building codes and guidelines for the control radon in new buildings in Member States Creation of an EU Radon information web site linked to the DGSANCO Indoor Air Quality web site

9 Key Activities 2. Improvement of radon risk communication strategies: Assessment of current radon risk awareness in the EU population Development of appropriate radon risk communication strategies targeted at both policy/decision makers and at the general population in the EU. Development of communication approaches for different target groups.

10 Key Activities 3. Assessment of radon control technologies: Assessment of potential conflicts between energy conservation in buildings and radon exposure reduction. Establishment of measurement protocols for radon control technologies. Design of training courses for radon measurement, prevention and remediation.

11 Key Activities 4. Cost Effectiveness and Health Benefits of Radon Control Strategies: Development of a spreadsheet-based model Development of a training course in methods of costeffectiveness and use of the cost effectiveness model Assessment of cost effectiveness of existing and potential radon prevention and remediation strategies in the EU

12 Key Activities 5. Dissemination to relevant stakeholders such as decision/policy makers, health and construction industry professionals and associations to the general public at large Particular efforts will be made to disseminate the project s results to Member States where radon exposure control policies are at a preliminary stage of development.

13 Methodological tools Literature review Measurements Master Questionnaire Radon Awareness Survey Questionnaire Radon Control Questionnaire Flyers Newsletters Website ( Articles

14 Master Questionnaire (MQ) A MQ has been designed and distributed to a wide range of radiation protection authorities and other relevant bodies. Its purpose is to gather information on existing strategies and policies in EU MS; The MQ, which is the most important information gathering tool, has primarily been sent to relevant contact persons in all 27 EU MS; As part of an informal collaboration established earlier this year between RADPAR and the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) the completion and return of the MQ was a necessary condition for attendance at the WHO/IAEA Radon Risk Reduction Workshop in Geneva.

15 Master Questionnaire (MQ) Completed MQs have now been received from 26 countries and are analyzed by partners in the different RADPAR Work Packages. The following European and Partner countries took part: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Rep, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Spain, Switzerland and United Kingdom The information gathered by the MQs covers the following topics: Indoor Radon Surveys National Policies on Indoor Radon Control Radon Risk Communication Strategies Training and Education

16

17 Survey Characteristics

18 Mean Radon (Bq/m 3 )

19

20 Reference or Action level: Bq/m 3 According to 90/143/Euratom the radon reference level is: - For existing buildings: 400 Bq/m 3 - For future constructions: 200 Bq/m 3

21

22

23

24 Main points for EU and Partner Countries: 1. Most countries listed have or are carrying out a national indoor radon survey. 2. Most surveys were based on randomly selected dwellings. 3. Mean radon levels are 52 Bq/m 3 or greater (except UK, 21 Bq/m 3 ). This means that a radon reference level as low as 100 Bq/m 3 for existing dwellings is not realistic but that it might be possible as a target value for new/planned dwellings built to improved building codes in future. 4. Most countries have a national indoor radon control policy and strategy.

25 Main points for EU and Partner Countries: 5. The radon reference level is 400 Bq/m 3 for existing buildings and 200 Bq/m 3 for future constructions according to 90/143/Euratom. However, these values are continuously under review in order to establish new values. For example, WHO recommends that the radon reference level for buildings, should be between 100 and 300 Bq/m 3 and should not exceed 300 Bq/m Almost half of the participating countries have national building codes or guidelines for radon control in new dwellings or other buildings. 7. Most countries have a national database with information on radon measurements in dwellings. However, most of them do not have a national database with information on remedial actions in dwellings. In order to have a good national program, it is very important to have such a database. Unfortunately, in many countries the radon remediation companies usually do not provide such information to the national radiation agency.

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33 Main points for EU and Partner Countries: 1. Most countries have carried out radon risk communication campaigns in national level, where the main target audiences were professional bodies, decision makers and mainly the general public. 2. In most countries radon risk communication campaigns are not linked to other public health communication campaigns (in areas such as anti-smoking or healthy buildings or indoor air quality). This is something that should be addressed in developing a radon control strategy. 3. Most countries haven t carried out a public radon awareness survey. Those who did, they did it mostly in national level. 4. Only a low percentage of the general population is aware of radon and it s health implications.

34 RADPAR Deliverables generating evidence base for policy 1.Manual: Training course on radon measurement, prevention and remediation for personnel from radon control companies ; 2.Report: Radon risk communication strategies targeted at policy makers, the general population and professional target groups in the EU; 3.Report: Potential conflicts between energy conservation and radon control ; 4.Manual: Training course in methods of cost-effectiveness analysis ; 5.Report: Measurement protocols to control indoor radon ; 6.Workshop proceedings: Radon prevention and remediation workshop proceedings.

35 Expected Outcomes By means of its deliverables it is expected that this project will: Heighten awareness both of the public and of decision makers of the health burden of radon in the EU and of the technical means available to control radon. Transfer information to new and accession MS where radon control strategies are presently almost non-existent.

36 Concluding Remark It is clear that only a joint European effort can provide the necessary experience and diversity of circumstances to provide an insight into the complex radon problem and in how to deal effectively with it.

37 RADPAR Website : Thank you for your attention.