Radon study. A state of affairs

An overview is given of current research on radon in the Netherlands. After a brief introduction on the framework, backgrounds and research method, attention is paid to current projects, available results, discussions and preliminary conclusion. The current so-called STRATEGO research program will be finalized in 1996. Most of the research is aimed at reduction of the source term or limitation of radon distribution. Three lines of research are suggested: (1) reduction of the average risk of radon exposure; (2) development of methods to trace problematic dwellings, in particular for the Dutch soil conditions and the applied building materials; and (3) improvement of the quality of the radon measurements by means of normalization of measuring methods and measurements carried out by certified laboratories. The realization of an integrated radon model will be of use to gain insight into the radon problem and to calculate specific measures, aimed at soil and building materials. 17 refs