Assessment of the radon situation in working and living spaces

Since December 12th, 2018, the amended Radiation Protection Ordinance is in power. It defines a legal reference value of 300 Bq/m³ for working and living spaces (part 4, chapter 1). The reference value relates to the annual average value of the radon concentration. In regions under reasonable suspicion as defined by the legislator, the employers and professional lessors of living spaces have to provide evidence that the reference value will not be exceeded.

This necessitates a continuous long-term measurement or, better, a permanent measurement in the single rooms. Due to the annual averaging, a fast response is not required. So you can use less sensitive and thereby inexpensive instruments. Nevertheless, a resolution in time is imperative, because e.g. in working spaces only those periods of time should be considered in which the room in question is being used. If the room will not be used the radon concentration will significantly rise. The evaluation software should offer the possibility to define the corresponding time intervals room by room.

The instruments used should be tamper-proof and easy to be placed.

For this purpose, SARAD GmbH has developed the instrument Radon Scout Home that offers inexpensive and precise long-term indoor measurements. The instrument has been successfully tested by leading institutions; e.g. the Helmholtz Centre Munich has published a manual how to use the Radon Scout Home.

The instrument should also be used for success control after radon mitigation measures.