Colleagues,
If you have been in one of MURC's radon classes in the past year, you have heard me mention that the UK was considering lowering their reference level (similar to what we have referred to as action level) by 50% to 100 Bq/m3 or about 2.7 pCi/L. Today, the recommendation of the independent expert Advisory Group on Ionising Radiation to the Health Protection Agency has been released with the lower reference level recommendation. It is my understanding that Germany has already set its reference level at 100 Bq/m3 and other countries are assessing reducing their levels as well.
In addition, the HPA Advisory Group recommended that radon control in new buildings be considered for most, if not all, of the UK.
The recommendations were based upon the Advisory Group's review of the latest health risk research and cost-effectiveness analyzes. The forthcoming WHO Radon Handbook contains the cost-effectiveness analysis that reflects the importance of broad scale radon building code requirements.
In light of the UK's recommendations, it is interesting to ponder questions such as:
•Whether there will be similar considerations in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere.
-In part, the answer is, of course, there will be at least some parallels.
-In Canada, for example, there has been a proposal for radon control in the national building code
-In the U.S., our Healthy Home colleagues, have submitted proposals for the upcoming revision cycle of the International Residential Code which serves as a model for many U.S. jurisdictions.
-If you are an AARST or CRCPD member, speak up about what if any position you believe the two organizations should take on revision of U.S. and, perhaps, Canadian reference levels although it may be premature to consider such a recommendation in Canada where the level was reduced only two years ago and there is much to do bring radon risk reduction on-line.
•How changes in action levels might impact measurement protocols including the discussion we have had on this list over the past few days on this list about short-term measurements.
Best wishes to each of you who are doing your best to reduce the risk of indoor radon exposure.
Bill Angell
Professor, University of Minnesota
Director, Midwest Universities Radon Consortium, www.cce.umn.edu/radon
President, American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists, www.aarst.org
Chair, World Health Organization's International Radon Project's Mitigation and Prevention Working Group, www.who.int/ionizing_radiation/env/radon/en/
United States