Legislation on radon

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and The Council of the European Union has recommended the Member States to take action against radon in homes and at workplaces. In the ERRICCA project the Group on Legal and Building Code Impact was designated to study the current radon legislation and to give advice on future conduct of laws and recommendations. On behalf of the Group a questionnaire on radon-legislation have been send out to all European States and a selection of non-European States. Questions were asked on Reference Levels for dwellings, workplaces, drinking water and regulations or recommendations on building materials and at planning. Most European States and many non-European have recommended Reference Levels for dwellings and workplaces, and some guidelines for measures against radon at construction. However only few states have enforced limits and regulations for planning and construction. The limits for indoor radon concentration in existing and new dwellings and workplaces are within the range 150-1000 Bq/m3. Two EU Member States (out of 15) have enforced limits for existing and new dwellings and six European Non Member States (out of 16 that have answered the questionnaire) have enforced
levels for existing dwellings and eight for new dwellings. Only Finland, Sweden the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic have up to now limits on radon
in water, although seven countries plan to introduce such limits. The limits for public water are within the range 50-500 Bq/l, for private water 200-1000 Bq/l. Two EU-members and ten non-EUmembers have Reference Levels for the concentration of radioactive elements in building materials. Seven European counties have guidelines for radon at planning and twelve have mapped the radonprone/ risk areas.
Essential for the work against radon and for the future reduction in of radon in dwellings and at workplaces is that the national states issue recommendations, regulations, directions or laws on radon limits and building practice. To have effect, it seems that the Reference Levels and regulations have to be enforced. Otherwise very little is achieved. Large measuring and research programs have been carried out in many in counties, but up to now only in the states those have enforced regulations, the programs have resulted in remedial actions in more than 10,000 buildings. The only exception is U.S.A., which has accomplished huge media campaigns on radon and training of a large number of contractors that perform measurements and remedial measures.