Radon risk management: the future challenge for the nuclear community

The short-lived decay products (Rn-d) of radon gas (Rn-222, Rn-220) have be en identified as a health hazard in occupational exposure situations, as we ll as a public health risk in general. Decisions will have to be made conce rning the initiation and scale of national Rn-mitigation programmes. In vie w of the potentially significant socio-economic impact of such programmes, it is recommended to proceed from the current approach based on Rn-d risk a ssessment to the integrated approach of radon risk management (RRM). A seve n-step RRM is proposed, ranging from the selection of an action level based on an incremental risk-reduction, to the conduct of auditing procedures, m onitoring the RRM-outreach factor. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All right s reserved.