As stated in the Draft radon testing in primary schools in priority areas of investigation by INSPQ (National Public Health Institute of Quebec), radon concentrations measured in schools are generally under the guideline and when excesses are observed, they are generally of low amplitude.
Considering some situations, such as the fact that school-age children can spend nearly a quarter of their time in school and they may be exposed to radon early in life, we can not ignore the potential effectiveness of an intervention in these places on the reduction of cumulative radon exposure.
Structural aspects Characterizing primary schools Radon in schools and shops are additional interest for the study. Indeed, because they are usually small buildings, relatively simple in structural terms (no elevator system complex mechanical ventilation, often built on one type of foundation and with few floors), it s' is relatively straightforward to establish a site characterization. As construction techniques schools are relatively uniform, these buildings can be compared from one region to another. Finally, as this type of building is similar to residential construction, the observed results may be useful to assess the exposure of the surrounding community.
The Canadian guideline for radon is based on an estimate of the risk to health based on an annual average exposure to this gas. For reasons of feasibility, Health Canada recommends evaluating radon present in the enclosure of public buildings from a test conducted on a minimum of three months, ideally during the cold season.
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