RADON AS A FACTOR OF POPULATION EXPOSURE IN RUSSIA
Indoor radon exposure of humans is considered in the context of safe handling with natural radioactive materials - soil under the building and construction structures. Within the framework of natural science disciplines - radiobiology, radioecology, radiation epidemiology, radiation geoecology and building physics - the regularities of radon entry and accumulation, the health effects of exposure to radon are studied and the methods of protection against radon are justified. Available scientific basis allows solving the radon problem in Russia at the system level within the integrated state strategy. Over the past few decades, the processes of formation, transport, accumulation of radon, as well as the issues of human irradiation with daughter radon products and the effects of irradiation have been thoroughly studied by natural-science methods. Based on the results of radiobiological, radiation-epidemiological and dosimetric studies, the danger of radon is associated with lung irradiation and an increased risk of lung cancer with inhalation intake of radon children. The created methodical and metrological support allows carrying out both mass radon surveys and radiation-hygienic control in separate buildings. The levels of accumulation of radon in residential buildings in Russia averages about 48 Bq / m3 and in 95% of the premises do not exceed 160 Bq / m3. This level of exposure increases the mortality of lung cancer by about 7%. In the course of a large number of studies, the main geogenic and anthropogenic factors determining the radon exposure situation in buildings in various territories have been established. Based on the systematization of the available information, physically justified models of convective and diffusion radon intake into buildings have been built, which allow developing effective methods for reducing the volume activity of radon in existing buildings and planning protection against radon of new buildings.