← Back to catalogue
Published

radon

vr.tr.radon · thing-q1133

Let an agent explain what radon is and where it comes from, relay measurement, reference levels and mitigation guidance from radiation protection and health authorities, and route questions about a specific building or diagnosis to qualified services.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.MAT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What radon is.

Element

The element.

Element

Element.

  1. What is radon, where does it come from and how does it decay? definition
  2. Is the question about radon gas or about another indoor pollutant? boundary

Behaviour

Indoor behaviour.

Behaviour

Behaviour.

  1. How does radon enter and accumulate in buildings, and what affects concentration? definition
  2. Which entry fits building ventilation? action
Measure Testing.

Methods

Detectors and duration.

Methods

Methods.

  1. How is radon measured, over what period, and in which units? measurement
  2. Which certified services provide testing in the area? action

Levels

Reference levels.

Levels

Levels.

  1. What reference levels do WHO and the national authority set, and how do results compare? measurement
  2. Where is the national radon map published? provenance
Protect Health and mitigation.

Health

Health effects.

Health

Health.

  1. What do health authorities say about radon and lung cancer risk, including for smokers? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about their own health, which needs a clinician? boundary

Mitigation

Reducing levels.

Mitigation

Mitigation.

  1. What mitigation measures do authorities describe, such as sub-slab depressurisation and sealing? provenance
  2. Is the question about a specific building, which needs a qualified contractor? boundary
Rules Regulation and workplaces.

Regulation

Law and standards.

Regulation

Regulation.

  1. Which laws, directives and building codes address radon, and what do they require? provenance
  2. Which entry fits radiation protection generally? action

Workplace

Occupational exposure.

Workplace

Workplace.

  1. What rules apply to radon in mines, tunnels and other workplaces? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.MAT
Other names and narrower kinds
radon-195, radon-195m, radon-196, radon-197, radon-197m, radon-198, radon-199, radon-199m, radon-200, radon-201, radon-201m, radon-202

What it is Filled

A radioactive noble gas, chemical element 86, formed by the decay of radium in uranium- and thorium-bearing rocks and soils; colourless and odourless, it seeps into buildings and accumulates indoors, and its decay products are the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking according to health authorities.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain what radon is and where it comes from, relay measurement, reference levels and mitigation guidance from radiation protection and health authorities, and route questions about a specific building or diagnosis to qualified services.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Noble gas, chemically inert
  • Radioactive, from the uranium and thorium decay chains
  • Enters buildings from the ground and accumulates indoors
  • Health risk is from inhaled decay products

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Dismiss radon as harmless.
  • Interpret a home measurement as safe or dangerous without the official reference level.
  • Sell or promote unproven radon cures or products.
  • Conceal known high radon from tenants or buyers.

Only with a human decision

  • Remediation of a building and its effect on occupants.

May

  • Explain radon, its sources and its link to lung cancer.
  • Report radon maps and testing advice from official agencies.
  • Recommend that people test their homes in radon-prone areas.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Radon is a leading cause of lung cancer among people who never smoked.
  • Tenants may be exposed without knowing.

Who is affected

  • Residents
  • Tenants
  • Underground workers

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody: a natural element; building owners answer for indoor levels and radiation agencies give guidance.

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q19609 - registry parent class

related

  • noble gas - group 18 element
  • radium - its parent nuclide
  • radiation protection authority - reference levels and workplace rules
  • lung cancer - the health effect that drives regulation

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.radon
  • Wikidata: Q1133 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1133)
  • chemical symbol: Rn
  • CAS number: 10043-92-2
  • isotopes: Rn-222, Rn-220, Rn-219 naturally occurring

Direct properties required Filled

  • atomic number: 86
  • half-life of radon-222: 3.8 days
  • reference level: 100-300 Bq per cubic metre - WHO recommends 100 where possible; many countries use 200 or 300
  • density: about 9.7 kg per cubic metre - heavier than air

Recognition required Filled

  • Detected by passive detectors or electronic monitors over days to months
  • Concentration reported in becquerels per cubic metre
  • Carbon monoxide and other indoor gases are different hazards
  • Invisible and odourless gas; detected only by instruments.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain sources and behaviour of radon
  • relay reference levels and measurement methods
  • relay mitigation guidance from authorities
  • route building or health questions to services

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Long-term exposure raising lung cancer risk, sharply higher for smokers
  • Unmeasured accumulation in basements and ground floors
  • Short-term tests misrepresenting annual average
  • Occupational exposure in mines and underground workplaces

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • WHO Handbook on Indoor Radon reference level
  • ICRP recommendations and IAEA safety standards
  • EU Basic Safety Standards Directive radon provisions and national radon action plans
  • Building code radon protection measures in affected areas

Context of use required Filled

  • Not for anything in ordinary life; used in some research and historically in radiotherapy sources.
  • radon-222 from the uranium chain, the main indoor isotope
  • radon-220 or thoron from the thorium chain
  • radon in groundwater and well water
  • radon in mines and underground workplaces

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q1133: radon - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Radon - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should radon isotopes be separate entries?
  • How should national radon maps be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases for individual isotopes; should they be split off?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1133/spec.json