Презентация к уроку английского языка "Экология"

Radon
Environmental problem of the Leningrad region

Completed by:
Polina Plyasova
Alena Zorina
Sophia Shirokoviy
Students of 10 class «G»
Supervisor: Mikhailova Elena Vladimirovna
Murino, 2021

Table of Contents

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Urgency of the problem

Radon is a noble gas, colorless and odorless, poisonous, and even radioactive. It dissolves easily in water, and even better in the fatty tissues of living organisms. A person receives the main radiation, being in a closed, isolated, unventilated room.

The key fact about radon is that it is one of the leading causes of lung cancer. Radon is estimated to cause between 3% to 14% of all lung cancers in a country, depending on the national average radon level and smoking prevalence.

“Radon is an underestimated but widespread health hazard. On a daily basis, many people are unknowingly exposed to radon in the buildings where they live and work. We want people to be aware of the danger of radon and how to reduce this public health threat.”

said Dr Mike Repacholi, Program Manager for Radiation and Health at WHO headquarters in Geneva.

Aims and tasks

Aims: to study the effect of radon on the body and explore ways to reduce this effect. Also identify the radon’s problem in the Leningrad region.

Tasks:
To analyze information about radon.
To study the danger the effect of radon on the body.
To identify sources of origin.
To identify ways to reduce radon concentration.
To analyze the radon’s problem in the Leningrad region.
To make the website for the dissemination of this information and to educate people.

A little bit of history

Ernest Rutherford was one of the first to discover gaseous isotopes of some chemical, which later became known as radon. In its pure form, it was first isolated and density measured by William Ramsay and Robert Whitlow-Gray in 1908.
For the first time, an increased incidence of lung cancer was observed in miners, who worked in uranium mines and were exposed to radon in very high concentrations. In addition, studies conducted in Europe, North America and China have confirmed that even low concentrations of radon, which, for example, are often recorded in residential areas, also pose health risks and contribute to the development of lung cancer in people around the world.

Ernest Rutherford and William Ramsay

Sources of radon emission in the atmosphere are:
• natural tectonic faults underground;
• building materials (granite, red clay bricks, concrete, pumice, shale);
• household gas;
• groundwater (from wells).

The effect of radon on the body

Getting into the human body along with the air, radon emits alpha particles that destroy living cells. Having received a large dose of radon (> 200 Bq / m3), a person can develop leukemia or any other type of oncology.

Ways to reduce radon concentration

• increasing under-floor ventilation;
• installing a radon sump system in the basement or under a solid floor;
• avoiding the passage of radon from the basement into living spaces;
• sealing floors and walls;
• improving the ventilation of the building, especially in the context of energy conservation.Firstly, it’s more intensive ventilation of the underground space;
Passive systems of mitigation can reduce indoor radon levels by more than 50%.

Yes, problem of radon is the one of the most important environmental problems of this region.
Here are the basic reasons for this problem:
A powerful band of uranium ore occurrence runs across the entire territory of the region and further towards Estonia.
Underground currents with increased content of radium and its decay products were found in the waters of the Leningrad region. They pose a danger of radioactive contamination.
there is no specialized burial ground for the disposal of radioactive waste on the territory of the region.
The lack of organizations specializing in the long-term storage of radioactive waste.
There are no professionals who are competent in the proper management of radioactive waste and the principles of its long-term storage.

Is radon a problem for Leningrad region?

Conclusion

All our research is described in more detail on our website. With the help of this site, we disseminated information about the dangers of radon in general, as well as in the Leningrad region.

Thank you for attention!