An Innovative Tool to Control Occupational Radon Exposure

Lucía Martin-Gisbert, Alberto Ruano-Ravina (), Juan Miguel Barros-Dios, Leonor Varela-Lema and Mónica Pérez-Ríos
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Lucía Martin-Gisbert: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Alberto Ruano-Ravina: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Juan Miguel Barros-Dios: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Leonor Varela-Lema: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Mónica Pérez-Ríos: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-7

Abstract: After smoking, indoor radon is the main contributor to lung cancer in many countries. The European Union (EU) Directive 2013/59/Euratom establishes a maximum reference level of 300 Bq/m 3 of radon concentration in the workplace, and an effective dose limit of 20 mSv per year for workers. If the radon concentration in a workplace exceeds the reference level, constructive mitigation applies. When constructive mitigation is not feasible, we propose to keep workers’ effective dose below 6 mSv per year (category B of exposed workers) by controlling occupancy time. Setting the maximum annual dose at 6 mSv protects workers’ health and eases the regulatory requirements for employers. If multisite workers are present, each worker has to be monitored individually by tracking the time spent and the radon concentration at each worksite. This paper shows a software tool for employers to perform this complex tracking in an accurate, conservative, and transparent manner, and in compliance with the EU by-laws.

Keywords: workplace; lung cancer; Directive 2013/59/Euratom; effective dose; ionizing radiation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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