title: Monitoring trends in civil engineering and their effect on indoor radon.
abstract: In this paper, the importance of monitoring new building concepts is discussed. The effect of energy-efficient construction technologies on indoor radon is presented in more detail. Comparing the radon levels of about 100 low-energy and passive houses in Austria with radon levels in conventional new houses show that, in energy-efficient new houses, the radon level is about one-third lower than in conventional new houses. Nevertheless, certain features or bad practice may cause high radon levels in energy-efficient new houses. Recommendations to avoid adverse effects were set up. Furthermore, the paper deals with the effect of thermal retrofitting on indoor radon. Results from a Swiss study where 163 dwellings were measured before and after thermal retrofit yield an increase of the radon level of 26% in average. Among the various retrofit measures, replacing windows has the greatest impact on the indoor radon level.
authors.affiliation: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, National Radon Centre, Wieningerstrasse 8, A-4020 Linz, Austria wolfgang.ringer@ages.at.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ringer
mesh_terms: D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D001317:Austria; D004738:Engineering / Q000639:trends*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000592:standards*; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D011834:Radiation Monitoring / Q000592:standards*; D011835:Radiation Protection / Q000592:standards*; D011848:Radioactive Pollutants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011886:Radon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011848:Radioactive Pollutants; D011886:Radon