Rational establishment of radon exposure standardsfor dwellings and workplaces

Radon is a normally occurring radioactive material, which isdesignated as a class 1 human carcinogen. therefore, it is important tocontrol radon exposure in dwellings and workplaces. methods: the radonguidelines of 32 countries across europe, north america, and asia wereexamined to determine rational radon exposure standards for minimizingradon risk in dwellings, offices, and workplaces. the exposure standards wereclassified as standards for people in dwellings and offices, where radonexposure can occur through construction materials, and standards forworkers exposed to radon at industrial sites, where they directly handleproducts containing radioactive matter such as raw materials and by-productsfrom processing. results: the examination results showed that in southkorea, the advisory reference level (arl) for dwellings is set to 148 bq/m3.moreover, arls are set for subway stations, libraries, medical institutions,and indoor parking lots, but there are no radon exposure standards to protectworkers in manufacturing sites, officers, and other workplaces. in othercountries, the arl or the mandatory reference level (mrl) are usuallyregulated between 148–400 bq/m3 for dwellings and public-use facilities, andbetween 200–1,000 bq/m3 for workplaces. conclusion: it is recommended touse 148 bq/m3, which is the standard set by the u.s. environmentalprotection agency, for dwellings and workplaces. for workplaces, it isrecommended to set the exposure standard between 400 bq/m3, which is thelevel adopted in most european union member countries, and 1,000 bq/m3,which is the reference level recommended by the international commissionon radiological protection