1,000 free radon measurements in Bonn for research

The study area: Bonn Source: travelview/Stock.adobe.com

The radioactive gas radon is an invisible, odourless contaminant that can occur in homes and is one of the most common causes of lung cancer – after smoking, which comes top of the list. The search for indoor radon centres around measurement activities. Now, anyone living in the Bonn city area has the chance to receive a free radon measurement. For a study on behalf of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), the expert office Sachverständigenbüro Dr. Kemski is looking for 1,000 households in Bonn who would like to have the radon concentration in their home determined.

Radon is formed in the ground, from where it can enter buildings and accumulate in indoor air. The presence of an elevated radon concentration can be detected using simple measuring devices that require no power supply and emit neither light nor sound.

Participants receive measurement results from their apartments

Anyone who chooses to participate in the study will be sent radon measuring devices of this kind conveniently and free of charge by post. They will set the devices up themselves and send them back after a year – the study team will not be making home visits. After the devices are evaluated in the laboratory, the participants will receive the measurement results for their house or apartment.

If the measurements actually show elevated values, there are several ways that people can protect themselves: for example, unsealed points through which radon enters the house can be sealed, and improved ventilation can also help. Radon specialists can help people select and implement the appropriate measures.

Anonymised measurement data is used for research purposes

Path of radon from soil to house

The amount of radon that can enter a building depends on the structural fabric of the house and the nature of the soil. Some soils contain a particularly high level of radon or transport it to buildings particularly well.

This study aims to determine how urban infrastructure and dense development influence the occurrence of radon in residential buildings. For example, it will investigate the effects of soil sealing, artificial infilling or highways on the radon concentration in soil and indoors. To this end, the measurement results from participating households will be used in anonymised form. In addition, the radon concentration in soil air will be determined at selected locations in Bonn.

Registration to take part directly with Sachverständigenbüro Dr. Kemski

If you would like to know more about the study, further information is available on the website of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, or you can register directly with Sachverständigenbüro Dr. Kemski at www.kemski-bonn.de/Radon_Stadt. This offer is primarily aimed at households in Bonn. Applications from neighbouring towns and municipalities will also be considered as far as possible.