Contemporary technologies in research to control and reduce the health risk of radon exposure

Abstract

Ionizing radiation of terrestrial origin is a topic of global interest and the main objective is the study of the medical-biological effects on health. The academic community is in continuous research on the development of methods for detecting them. One of the most important elements participating in the creation of the natural background of ionizing radiation, with a major impact on health is radon. It cannot be perceived by the human senses as it is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas. Radon inhaled into the alveoli of the lungs disrupts the main cellular processes, the translation and transcription of DNA and RNA molecules, thus occurring a series of mutations in the genetic apparatus. Exposure to high levels of radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after tobacco use.
Determining the concentration of radon in the air of residential homes, public buildings and workplaces is a priority action for the development and implementation of the action plan in the context of the objectives of EURATOM Directive 59/2013.