Dear Colleagues,

Evidence shows that air pollution worldwide is responsible for a significant burden of deaths, hospital admissions and symptom exacerbation. Among the natural environmental pollutants that can accumulate in the atmosphere, indoor or outdoor, radon gas is considered the main source of ionizing radiation exposure for the general population.

Radon (222Rn) is a radioactive gas product of the decay of radium (226Ra), which belongs to the decay series of the uranium (238U) and is present in various types of soils and rocks in the Earth’s crust. Radon originating from the ground can permeate through the soil and penetrate the indoor space of buildings, where it can accumulate at a level that results in a health risk, being recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer by the World Health Organization (WHO). Relevant scientific research in recent decades, several case studies conducted on large population cohorts, and internationally adopted legislation have well established that the continued inhalation of radon air in homes and workplaces poses a scientifically proven health hazard, which depends mainly on the levels to which it is exposed and the duration of the exposure period. The variation of radon levels in buildings depends on several factors; among the most important are the geological features of the investigated area, the environmental parameters, the building characteristics and occupational patterns. Fortunately, public exposure to radon, after an appropriate assessment, can be controlled and/or prevented by preventive measures, mitigation methods and management solutions, including the handling and treatment, mitigation, and minimization of radon levels inside the buildings.

Therefore, the scope of this Special Issue on Atmospheric Radon Measurements, Control, Mitigation and Management covers a wide range of topics dealing with indoor and outdoor atmospheric radon, including metrology, measurement techniques for control, mitigation, management, risk assessment, modelling, and the synergism between radon and indoor air pollution with the energy efficiency of buildings, public health, smoking habits, climate change, sustainability and the Green Buildings challenge, earthquake detection and prediction, and other challenges associated with the topic.

This Special Issue of the open-access journal Atmosphere addresses the issue of “Atmospheric Radon Measurements, Control, Mitigation and Management”, inspired by the global need for radon remediation actions based on reliable research experience. This Special Issue is a follow-up of the first Special Issue entitled “Atmospheric Radon Measurements, Control, Mitigation and Management” (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/atmosphere/special_issues/atmospheric_radon) published in Atmosphere in 2021.

This volume aims to contribute to a better understanding of the challenges related to radon issues, to the improvement of radon-related legislation and public policies, and to help to better understand the regulatory tools and procedures leading to the reduction of occupational and public exposures to radon in the atmosphere of buildings. Moreover, the requirements of the latest EURATOM Directive 59/2013 adopted by the European Council introduce for all the European member states the necessity to design instruments and regulation methods focused on compliance with the reference level adopted by radon regulation in each country. Therefore, this Issue falls into the category of volumes dedicated to radon, whose contribution is currently paramount, providing useful tools and references for radon management, risk communication, public education and mitigation actions.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Radon problems in the broad context of indoor air quality;
• Radon metrology, detectors and infrastructure networks for radon measurement and monitoring;
• Radon awareness, public policy and perspectives;
• Radon in environmental factors as a contribution to the atmospheric radon and health risk assessment for exposed populations;
• Radon mitigation, remediation methods applied in existing buildings, and preventive solutions designed for new buildings;
• Indoor radon pollution management linked to energy efficiency and building sustainability.

Accordingly, we warmly invite all specialists, academics, researchers, scientists and other interested parties to publish their experimental or theoretical scientific achievements in the broader spectrum of the radon field, with applications in public policy, practical recommendations, geophysics, environment, life sciences and building sustainability, in the form of original research articles or reviews.

Dr. Cucoş (Dinu) Alexandra
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• radon
• indoor air quality
• monitoring
• measurement
• radon mitigation
• management
• control
• building sustainability