RadoNorm featured on the prestigious list of Europe's best citizen science
RadoNorm citizen science – a large-scale project to measure and reduce radon levels in your home - featured on the ‘European Union Prize for Citizen Science - Honorary Mentions’ list. The new European prize annually honours innovative and creative projects that demonstrate significant scientific merit and societal impact.
Taking action against radon
“Scientific research should not remain behind closed doors. It should be accessible to everyone, particularly when it pertains to their own health. Radon is the second most common cause of lung cancer in Europe. Unfortunately, while people are aware of the risks associated with radon, they often fail to take action. "With RadoNorm, we are exploring whether citizen science can address this issue," it was stated at the project's inception.
💡 Reread the August '23 article in which we announced the Citizen Science Incubator here.
Among the 10% best projects with citizen science
RadoNorm's 'Citizen Science Incubator' drives numerous civic initiatives in France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain. Each initiative enables citizens to conduct radon measurements, primarily in schools, homes, offices, and underground mines.
The project recently earned official recognition by being selected from an impressive 288 entries for an 'Honorary Mention' in the European Union Prize for Citizen Science. RadoNorm has thus secured a position among the top 10% of European citizen science projects.
"Over 600 citizens and 57 research institutions participated in our citizen initiatives. We bridged the gap between research on the one hand and community on the other. As the project coordinator for these initiatives, I am particularly proud that we played a key role in their growth. We must not overlook the significance of this. Those initiatives have not only led to increased awareness of radon risks. They also contributed to the collection of scientific data and even technical solutions for residential mitigation in Europe. The fact that the jury recognised this is a significant compliment," remarked Tanja Perko, an expert in risk communication at SCK CEN.
Brand new, European award
In 2023, the European Commission created the European Union Prize for Citizen Science. This annual prize highlights citizen science and awards innovative and creative projects with significant scientific merit as well as societal impact. Belgium also performed admirably in the previous edition. Then, the main prize was awarded to Isala, a project of the University of Antwerp focussing on vaginal health. Another esteemed Belgian project, CurieuzeNeuzen, also received an Honorary Mention during that period. RadoNorm thus now joins the ranks of impactful citizen science projects.
Want to know more about radon and its potential dangers? FANC - the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control - compiles a lot of information online and stages the annual Radon awareness campaign. Visit FANC's website to find out more tips on avoiding radon.
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