Abstract (EN):
Radon is a natural radioactive gas that may be present in soil air, water and air. Radon is the largest source of natural radiation exposure representing approximately 50% of the public's exposure to naturally-occurring sources of radiation in many countries. In particular, radon exposure in thermal spas have been the target of increasing and recent studies in some countries such as Brazil, Spain, Greece, China, Turkey, but without any relevant development in Portugal. However, the obtained results from these studies were not unanimous and conclusive in what concerns to health impacts. The purpose of this work was to develop a bibliographical revision regarding radon exposure in thermal establishment's spas. The bibliographical review was carried out by searching key-words in several databases and scientific journals. The majority of the consulted and validated studies concluded that the exposure to high radon concentrations poses an effectively health risk to populations; exposure to radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking.
Language:
English
Type (Professor's evaluation):
Scientific
No. of pages:
3