Radon Monitored at La Laguna University, 65 Spaces Evacuated
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 31 July – La Laguna University (ULL) has been measuring radon levels across its campus since October 2025, aiming to mitigate risks associated with the gas. While 85% of the monitored buildings are free of radon, 7% require ventilation and another 7% need evacuation and remedial work.
The university has purchased 1,454 radon detectors and has already received results from 921 of them. Although monitoring began in late 2025, there were delays in acquiring and installing the equipment.
For results to be valid, continuous data must be collected for at least three months. Initial reports started coming in May and have been sent to a laboratory for analysis. The university’s management informed deans and affected individuals of these findings on 29 and 30 July.
Additionally, a section has been created on the university’s intranet to share information about the measures taken, including resolutions, technical instructions, and measurement data.
Each area has been individually assessed in line with legal standards, with input from technical units. The intranet site uses a traffic-light system to indicate the safety status of each space, marking them in green, yellow, or red.
University management has coordinated efforts with the Occupational Risk Prevention Service, the Medical Physics and Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory (FIMERALL), and other departments to define and implement necessary safety measures.
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can seep into buildings from the ground. It is colourless and odourless, making detection only possible through measurement. While it disperses outdoors, it can accumulate in enclosed spaces. Certain areas in the Canary Islands are at higher risk due to the region’s volcanic characteristics, with a reference limit of 300 becquerels per cubic metre (Bq/m³) set by the Nuclear Safety Council.
