Abstract
The problem of radon emission in buildings first came to light at the end of the 1970s, when a report by the Swedish National Institute of Radiation Protection revealed high ‘radon daughter’ concentrations in some houses. Radon is a radioactive gas which can be emitted from some building materials, from radioactive ground and/or from domestic water in special circumstances. Temporary limits on permitted concentrations in different types of dwellings were imposed in Sweden. They were related to the age of dwellings, due to the known historical use of alum shale in lightweight concrete. Described here are the tests later carried out by the Swedish National Testing Institute and the assessment methods evolved in co-operation with Lund University. They have absolved modern-day building materials from culpability; the main source of the trouble, it is suggested, is the ground on which the houses are built.
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