The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), in cooperation with the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), hosted an international workshop in Bonn on 8 and 9 April 2025 to facilitate exchange on scientific and technical issues related to radon protection.
In many homes and workplaces in Germany, there is an invisible, odourless pollutant in the air: the naturally occurring radioactive gas radon. It is breathed in from the indoor air, unnoticed. After smoking, it is the most common cause of lung cancer. Radon forms in the soil and can make its way into buildings through cracks and leaks in building foundations, accumulating in the indoor air. The air concentration can be easily and cheaply monitored using a measuring device.
But what dose of radiation has an impact on the lungs of those breathing in this radioactive indoor pollutant? At international level, there are new scientific findings on the conversion of measured radon concentrations to a radiation dose.
The BMUV workshop welcomed around 70 international experts who intensively discussed various ways to implement the new findings in radon protection policy. The participants also talked about current challenges and analysed good practices.
The results of the exchange among the international experts provide an important contribution to radon protection and the further development of radiation protection regulations.
You can find more information about radon and simple methods to protect against it on the BMUV homepage.