Radon - occurrence and health risks in civil engineering

Abstract

The paper presents risks of the use of building materials with radioactive properties. The element that generates almost half of the natural radiation is radon. The most common medical complications are radiation sickness and cancer, affecting the lungs. The workplaces where building materials are manufactured with the use of radioactive materials present a hazard to human health, e.g. in deep and opencast mining. The report states that radon after smoking is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Protection against excessive radiation from radon ought to be bases on the use of materials with a relatively low level of radioactivity.