What is ISO 11665‑6 about?
ISO 11665 discusses the measurement of radioactivity in the environment. Since radon present in soil can leech into the environment, it can pose a health risk to people who breathe that air. It is important to measure the quantity of radon in this air to determine whether people are safe.
ISO 11665‑6 is the sixth part of the multi-series on measurement of radioactivity in the environment that describes radon-222 spot measurement methods. ISO 11665‑6 gives indications for carrying out spot measurements, at the scale of a few minutes at a given place, of the radon activity concentration in open and confined atmospheres. The measurement method described is applicable to air samples with radon activity concentration greater than 50 Bq·m−3.
This measurement method is for rapid assessment of the radon activity concentration in the air. The result cannot be extrapolated to an annual estimate of the radon activity concentration. This type of measurement is therefore not applicable for assessment of the annual exposure or for determining whether or not to mitigate citizen exposures to radon or radon decay products.
Who is ISO 11665‑6 for?
ISO 11665‑6 on measurement of radioactivity in the environment is useful for:
- Environmental bodies
- Health and safety inspectors
- Real estate developers
Why should you use ISO 11665‑6?
Radon present in soil enters the air via diffusion. Over time, radon concentration in air can increase, posing a health hazard for people. Radon activity concentrations in air depend on radon activity concentration in the underlying soil.
To limit the risk to individuals, a national reference level of 100 Bq.m-3 is recommended by the World Health Organization. ISO 11665‑6 deals with radon-222 spot measurement methods.
ISO 11665‑3 provides a spot measurement method to reduce the risk to the overall population. For buildings, building codes should be implemented that require radon prevention measures in buildings under construction and radon mitigating measures in existing buildings. Radon measurements are needed because building codes alone cannot guarantee that radon concentrations are below the reference level. Outdoor air needs to be monitored to assess whether it is safe for people.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN ISO 11665‑6:2020 supersedes EN ISO 11665‑6:2015.
The main changes compared to the previous version are as follows:
- Update of the Introduction
- Update of the Bibliography