From 7-10 October 2024, Funchal, Madeira, will be hosting Radon Week. The conference is dedicated to radon prevention and mitigation measures in new and existing buildings and is organized by the European Radon Association (ERA), the Regional Directorate of Environment and Climate Action (DRAAC) from the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM) and the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA). Delegates will be able to enjoy the local cuisine, experience whale watching and appreciate Funchal, voted one of the “World’s Leading Island Destinations” every year, since 2015. During the week, the ERA will be hosting its annual workshop and Radon Outcomes On Mitigation Solutions (ROOMS). Experts from across Europe will be in attendance over the four days including scientists, technologists, public health officials and decision makers working in the radon field. A clear focus of the workshop will be to encourage international collaborations on radon to combat its inherent dangers.
“We’re all very excited to get the opportunity to meet up with radon experts to discuss the latest research, share experiences and collaborate so that we can gain insight into where we need to prioritise , both nationally and globally. This is a unique opportunity to make issues such as air quality within buildings a key issue and one that is high on the agenda of many institutions,” said José-Luis Gutiérrez Villanueva, Secretary of the ERA.
This year the overarching theme of the ERA workshop is “revisiting radon risk communication”. Speakers will include experts from the medical sector and specialists from the communications field.
ROOMS attendees will include national and international scientific community members, radon testers, diagnosticians, mitigators, educators, public stakeholders, and authorities. It is an informal conference that aims to exchange ideas on how to solve radon levels in buildings. This year the main topics are:
During the conference, the ERA Executive Committee will announce the winners of two awards: “Lifetime Achievement” and “Recent Outstanding Research or Work in the Radon Field “. The Lifetime Achievement Award could be a radon expert who has made important contributions in the field, or a colleague who has spent time educating and supporting students on radon issues or a retiree who has dedicated their career to raising awareness of the dangers of radon. For the Recent Outstanding Research or Work in the Radon Field award nominees can include those who have recently completed a diploma, finished a PhD, organised a radon event, or published a high impact research project.
The ERA is a non- profit International Organisation registered under Belgian law (number 549.923.484). It has been formed to serve the interests of the European radon community.
