2023 年 57 巻 4 号 p. 161-171
The original research is created out of the learning of history. Radon research has been performed from the beginnings of 20 century, right after discovery of uranium radioactivity. In this review, the history of radon research in atmosphere in the period from the beginnings to 1980s was mainly described at the viewpoint of health physics (health effects) including measuring methods, properties of radon short-lived progeny and the dose estimation. Radon in the uranium mine air and in water of the spa has been described a little. Radon long-lived progeny, thoron (radon-220) and thoron progeny were not described excluding something in connection with radon-222, and actinon (radon-219) was not mentioned at all.
