10 August 2009: The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are collaborating to improve atmospheric investigations that use radon.

In June, the two international bodies convened a joint meeting in Vienna, Austria, on sources and measurements of radon and radon progeny, which are applied to climate and air quality studies. In addition, the IAEA’s Environment programme includes a new project on the use of nuclear techniques for monitoring air pollution and investigating atmospheric processes, which will help scientists to standardize their radon emission measurements and improve the quality of their data.
Radon is a heavy radioactive gas that is considered dangerous to human health but has significant research applications in climate and air quality studies. [IAEA press release]