EL GAS RADÓN COMO CONTAMINANTE ATMOSFÉRICO THE RADON GAS. AN AIR POLLUTANT

In this work different aspects about the problem of the radon in dwe llings are approached. This gas of natural origin is virtually present in all the soils in the earth’s crust due to the presence of uranium and ra dium in the composition of them. Depending on architectural factors and of occupancy habits of the house, high concentrations of this gas can be reached indoors. In these situations, there is a quantifiable in crement of the risk of developing lung cancer in the inhabitants of the housing. In the last years the methodological improvements in the re alization of epidemiologic studies have led to the obtaining of scienti fic evidences about the relationship between the presence of indoor radon and the risk of lung cancer. This relationship, found years ago in workers of uranium mines, has been corroborated in the case of the residential radon by the light of several recent meta-analysis perfor med on groups of epidemiologic studies. More than 6.000 radon measurements have been carried out in Spain during the last 25 years. A summary of the results obtained from the main national radon surveys are also presented, as well as the cri teria recently established by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council con cerning radon action levels in dwellings and workplaces.