Radon is a hazardous substance that cannot be perceived by our senses. It has long been known that exposure to high radon levels for a long period of time will ultimately cause lung cancer. The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority estimates that 500 people die annually due to this. Although most of them are smokers, even non-smokers suffer from lung cancer caused by radon. The statutory value for radon in homes today is 200 Bq/m³. Several years of research points to the fact that 63% of all those who develop lung cancer have been exposed to radon levels between 100-200 Bq/m³. This is why the WHO has lowered the recommended value to 100 Bq/m³, and The Radiation Safety Authority of Sweden also has the same recommendation today. This study has been rendered to the Municipality of Eskilstuna, and its environmental and emergency management. The study has identified 72 % of the rental properties for radon measurements and action through personal visits to 14 large and medium-sized property managers in Eskilstuna. Several conclusions can be made from the study. Generally, very few measurements have been made and these have shown 6 % of high radon levels. The various property managers are at very different levels regarding their work with radon and there are very big differences amongst them as regards giving priority to the issue with radon. In 2020, the Swedish parliament has decided that no one should be exposed to radon levels above 200 Bq/m³ in their homes. Today there is legislation that applies against radon in apartment buildings as well as effective methods to reduce radon levels. However, the problem is instead the fact that there is a lack of resources at hand for the public health inspectors. Consequently, it seems rather impossible achieving the goal set for 2020. Thus it is of utmost interest to highlight this problem for the politicians that ultimately set the budget for the services in the municipality.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mdh-9955 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Willenius, Ann-Christin |
| Publisher | Mälardalens högskola, Akademin för hållbar samhälls- och teknikutveckling |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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