[Sources of ionizing radiation in dwellings]

According to recent surveys made by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), it has been estimated that in temperate regions people spend only 20% of their time outdoors and spend the remaining 80% indoors (homes, schools, other buildings). It is therefore important to establish whether radiation sources exist inside buildings in order to assess risk for the population. The 238U and 232Th radioactive chains are of particular importance because of Radon and Radon daughter production and 40K as component of building materials. It has been estimated that about 4.5% of lung cancers observed in the population are associated with exposure to Radon daughters. In order to comply with international regulations it is estimated that 1.5% of the existing dwellings in temperate regions need to be improved.