Radiolab Project: a Dip ... into environmental radioactivity

A project related to radon indoor measurements is funded by Italian Ministry of Education to Università degli Studi di Milano and by Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare – INFN, Itlay. The idea of this project started from the consideration that the subjective perception (sensation) of the risk doesn’t correspond very often to the objective and real risk of human activity. In particular, our perception of radioactivity is often misleading because of the lack of accurate information. A way to approach this theme, to make the public more trusting of nuclear issues related also to medical applications is to discuss radioactivity and ionizing radiation starting from young students. An experimental activity that involves secondary school students has been developed. It allows them to provide basic and correct information with the added benefit of being able to an experimental approach. On this basis was developed a project concerning the Italian secondary school, whose core idea is: (i) to provide the students a furnished laboratory at their school so that they can measure the radioactivity, starting from the natural components that is a part of our environment. In this exercise, the measurement of the 222Rn concentration is particularly well suited; (ii) to show the different types of radiations including ionizing radiations and how they are related each to the other; (iii) to demonstrate how ionizing radiations can be measured; (iv) to prove the fun a student can derive from discovery and detection of ionizing radiation. Different aspects derive from this kind of project: 1. the students can approach different subjects all correlated to physics measurements, in order to understand that their studies are not compartmentalized, but are the way to read the book of the nature; 2. to learn to present their results to the public; 3. the communication of the students involved with their family on this kind of matter; 4. allow teachers an update on matters related to modern physics. At the last but not the least the subject allows to introduce concepts related to radioprotection and more generally on health physics. Some of the many results of this project, carried forward for 10 years, will be presented.