Press release

European Radon Week 2021 will be held at the bluefactory site in Fribourg from the 13^th to the 15^th of October, 2021. The event will bring together 60 leading radon experts from 22 different countries, including industry professionals, researchers and government officials in the area of radiation protection.

Discussions will focus on radon, a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that infiltrates buildings, causing health problems in residents. It is estimated that radon is responsible for 3 to 14% of all lung cancer cases worldwide, and for 8 to 10% of cases in Switzerland, which represents around 300 deaths per year. Despite being the only regulated indoor air pollutant in Switzerland, radon is poorly understood by the general public and rarely taken into consideration by construction professionals.

The Center for Indoor Air Quality and Radon Pollution of Western Switzerland (croqAIR) and the TRANSFORM Institute at the School of Engineering and Architecture of Fribourg will host two in-person events at the Smart Living Lab over three days. Activities will kick off on October 13^th with a workshop on international collaboration in the field of radon research organized by the European Radon Association. This will be followed on October 14^th and 15^th by the two-day international conference known as ROOMS (Radon Outcomes On Mitigation Solutions), which is the most important annual event for the radon community in Europe and beyond. ROOMS seeks to promote exchanges among experts from different countries, focusing on methods of radon prevention and mitigation for both new and existing buildings. A few companies offering radon measurement and treatment solutions will have the opportunity to exhibit their products.

How are buildings decontaminated after radon infiltration? What are the available preventive methods, and when should they be implemented? What can be done to treat tap water and to ensure potability in high radon areas? What are the available tools to measure personal exposure to radon both at home and in the workplace? How are the dynamics of the gas influenced by factors such as type of construction, occupant behavior and the weather? All of these questions will be addressed as operationally as possible. European Radon Week 2021 will also be the occasion to present the pilot project on radon protection and gas monitoring for the Smart Living Lab’s future building.

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