In Jáchymov in the Karlovy Vary Region, they opened a renewed and expanded Radon line. This route around the city of Jáchymov introduces visitors to the radioactive radon gas problem that occurs in Jáchymov and its surroundings. The new look of the trail, which is about three kilometers long and has ten information panels, should be less professional, but more friendly towards ordinary people. In this way they will be able to see the problem of this element, which on the one hand can harm human health, but on the other hand is also used for treatment in Jáchymov, said Marcela Berčíková, head of the radon program at the State Office. for Nuclear Safety (SÚJB).

“Compared to the original, the new radon footprint is designed a little differently. It is popular for education, prepared for families with children, teenagers and adults. It will also be in a foreign language version on the website. And it brings radon closer to the general public, so you can know, for example, what radon is, how radon is measured, how to remove it and the like,” said Berčíková.

At the same time, there are elements on the panel for children, who can take a simple quiz about radon.

According to SÚJB section director Karla Petrová, the Czech Republic is at world level in terms of radon measurement and removal, also because experts in the former Czechoslovakia started to focus on this problem in the 1980s. At the same time, the Czech Republic has the prerequisites for releasing radon due to the underlying soil layers. “So we have experience in how to protect ourselves from radon, how to detect it, and also how to explain when action must be taken and when it is not urgent. Traces of radon can also contribute to this,” says Petrová.

As he says, radon is figuratively a good servant but a bad master. Radon accumulates in buildings and long-term exposure can cause serious health problems, such as cancer, as has happened to miners in uranium mines, among others. On the other hand, Jáchymov Spa bases its treatments on radon baths, which use water from former uranium mines.

According to the Mayor of Jáchymov, Michal Baláž (deceased), the radon situation in the city is still being monitored. There is also a measuring device in the city hall, which after one year will be analyzed to determine whether there is an increase in the occurrence of radioactive gases in the city hall.

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