The International Radon Project (IRP) is a

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

initiative to reduce the

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

risk around the world. The IRP released their guidance to member countries in September 2009.http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241547673_eng.pdf Exposure to

radon Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colourless, odourless, tasteless noble gas. It occurs naturally in minute quantities as an intermediate step in the normal radioactive decay chains through ...

in the home and workplace is one of the main risks of

ionizing radiation Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...

causing tens of thousands of deaths from lung cancer each year globally. In order to reduce this burden it is important that national authorities have methods and tools based on solid scientific evidence and sound public health policy. The public needs to be aware of radon risks and the means to reduce and prevent these. In 1996, WHO published a report containing several conclusions and recommendations covering the scientific understanding of radon risk and the need for countries to take action in the areas of risk management and

risk communication Risk communication is a complex cross-disciplinary academic field that is part of risk management and related to fields like crisis communication. The goal is to make sure that targeted audiences understand how risks effect to them or their communit ...

. Recent findings from case-control studies on lung cancer and exposure to radon in homes completed in many countries allow for substantial improvement in risk estimates and for further consolidation of knowledge by pooling data from these studies. The consistency of the findings from the latest pooled analyses of case-control studies from Europe and North America as well as China provides a strong argument for an international initiative to reduce indoor radon risks. To fulfill these goals, WHO has developed a program on public health aspects of radon exposure. This project enjoys high priority with WHO's Department of Public Health and Environment. The key elements of the International Radon Project include: *Estimation of the

global burden of disease Disease burden is the impact of a health problem as measured by financial cost, mortality, morbidity, or other indicators. It is often quantified in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) or disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). Both ...

(GBD) associated with exposure to radon, based on the establishment of a global radon database *Provision of guidance on methods for radon measurements and mitigation *Developing evidence-based public health guidance for Member States to formulate policy and advocacy strategy including the establishment of radon action levels *Development of approaches for radon risk communication. To achieve these aims, WHO has formed a network of key partner agencies from some 40 Member States. This network is the basis for the WHO International Radon Project which was launched in 2005. Working groups will collect and analyse information on radon risk, radon policies, radon mitigation and prevention as well as risk communication. The project members meet regularly and work towards achieving the outlined objectives.

External links

World Health Organization Lowers Radon Action Level from EPA's 4.0 to 2.7 to Reduce Lung Cancer Risk

References

{{reflist Background radiation Radiation protection organizations Radioactivity Radon World Health Organization