1st RnMonitor Workshop – RnMonitor – Online Monitoring Infrastructure and Active Mitigation Strategies for Indoor Radon Gas in Public Buildings on the Northern Region of Portugal

1st Workshop on Radon Monitoring and Mitigation Strategies in Public Buildings

The 1st Workshop on the Project “RnMonitor: Monitoring Infrastructure Online and Strategies for Active Mitigation of Radon in Indoor Air in Public Buildings in the Northern Region of Portugal “, was held on January 26, 2018 at the School of Technology and Management of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, in Portugal. The workshop schedule was the following:

14h30 – RnMonitor Project Overview, António Curado, IPVC/PT

14h45 – Characterization of Granitic Stone   Houses in Minho Region, João Silva, IPVC/PT

15h00 – Radon Management in Buildings, Bernard Collignan, CSTB/FR

16h30 – Coffee break

16h45 – Radon Mitigation Strategies, Bernard Collignan, CSTB/FR

17h45 – RnMonitor Next Steps, Sérgio Lopes, IPVC/PT

Photo Gallery:

RnMonitor Project Overview by António Curado

Characterization of Granitic Stone   Houses in Minho Region by João Silva

Radon Management in Buildings and Mitigation Strategies by Bernard Collignan

Audience that attended the 1st RnMonitor Workshop

Main Conclusions:

In outdoor environments the radon gas concentration does not offer any type of public health problems; however in indoor environments, in a poor ventilation scenario, the higher concentrations can cause indoor air quality problems. In Minho region predominates granite soils and granite construction, so issues related to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) are particularly important.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), prolonged exposure to high concentrations of Radon gas is directly related to the increased risk of lung cancer. Hence, it is of vital importance to carry out a large experimental study in Minho region to carry out the characterization of the concentration of Radon gas in local buildings.
Despite the risk, the presence of Radon gas doesn’t limit, for itself, the occupation of granite buildings, however, it constitutes a health problem that needs analysis and consequent mitigation, when necessary.
The presence of researcher Bernard Collignan, a specialist of the Health and Comfort Department of the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CSTB), a French top quality research center, helped to understand the basics regarding Radon analysis and mitigation and constituted a starting point a serious discussion on the subject.