Professor Ebenezer Babatope Faweya of the Ekiti State University (EKSU), Ado-Ekiti, has called on governments at all levels in the country to introduce policies that would tame radon tagged the “silent killer” in the society.
Faweya, a Professor of Radiation and Health Physics, made the call on Tuesday while delivering 87th Inaugural Lecture of the Varsity titled: Living With Radiation: Can Man Tame The Ubiquitous Aetiological Agent And The Silent Killer?.
The lecturer, who is the Dean, Faculty of Sciences at EKSU, urged governments to provide information on levels of radon indoors and the associated health risks; implementing a national radon programme aimed at reducing both the overall population risk and the individual risk for people living with high radon concentrations.
Faweya said: “We are continuously exposed to natural and artificial radiations.
In addition to these, some of the radionuclides, such as polonium and radium are present in our bones, our muscle contains radiocarbon and radio potassium, radon thoron, and their progeny in our lungs, and they emit ionizing radiation.
“The radiation coming from the sun is due to the nuclear fusion, it is very essential for the existence of life on earth.