Issue link: https://hi.iaq.net/i/237600
where all houses in a given area (e.g. radon-prone area) are measured; public awareness programmes. Some countries also offer partial or full financial support for radon testing. The radon testing of a home should be followed by an assessment which includes the recommended actions to reduce the radon-related risk. For homes with radon concentrations above the reference level, remediation measures are always recommended. Clear information on effective radon reduction techniques should be provided to the householders. In addition, occupants of the house should be informed of the health effects of radon as well as the combined effect of radon and smoking. Information on radon and smoking can be used to further support tobacco control measures by public health authorities including WHO (IARC 2004, WHO 2008). The responsibility to reduce radon concentrations in a home normally rests with the householder. However, in some countries such as Sweden, Switzerland and the Czech Republic, there is a requirement to reduce radon levels above 200 Bq/m3, 1 000 Bq/m3 and 4 000 Bq/m3, respectively (Synnott and Fenton 2005b). In the majority of countries, the costs of remedial measures must be paid by the householder or property owner. While these costs are usually small, compared to other household costs, they can sometimes deter householders from taking action. Countries may consider reimbursement of part or all of the costs to householders or property owners, particularly if their economic means are limited or the radon concentrations are very high. Follow-up measurements to assess the effectiveness of the remedial measures should be performed. If a reimbursement programme is implemented in a country, costs for follow-up measurements should be included in the financial support agreements. Financial aid or tax incentives to householders or property owners carrying out renovations in their homes could encourage them to include radon mitigation measures. The householder or property owner will also need information on who can do the radon reduction work on their behalf. Therefore a list of recognized radon mitigation professionals should be produced and maintained by the regional or local authorities. The information on this list should be easily accessible for householders or property owners. Training for radon mitigation professionals is needed to help ensure that the recommended remediation measures are correctly designed and installed. Relevant training programmes should therefore be a regular component of national radon programmes. As a measure of the radon programme's effectiveness, countries should ideally establish a nation-wide database to collect information on radon measurements and other aspects of relevance to the radon programme. Whenever possible, the information collected should include parameters such as radon level before and after remediation, building characteristics, type of remediation measures, installation costs, annual operation and maintenance costs, and other benefits or disadvantages to the building (e.g. moisture reduction, cracks). A requirement for radon measurements at the time of sale of homes can be beneficial, not only in terms of increasing the number of dwellings measured for radon, but also in ensuring that dwellings exceeding the reference level are identified and remediated. Examples of countries that require this are given in Box 10. Especially if there is a high rate of buying and selling of dwellings, countries should consider recommending or requiring radon measurement and remediation at the time of the sale. 92