Quest Journals Journal of Architecture and Civil Engineering Volume 3 ~ Issue 4 (2017) pp: 25-31 ISSN(Online) : 2321-8193 www.questjournals.org *Corresponding Author: Carlos Rizo Maestre 25 | Page University of Alicante,Alicante, Spain Research Paper Radon Gas Measurement in the Civil Architecture of the Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante Carlos Rizo Maestre 1 , Servando Chinchón Yepes 2 1 Architect, University Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences, EDUA, University of Alicante, Alicante, Spain 2 Professors, Department of Architectural Constructions. University of Alicante. Alicante, Spain Received; 30 May. 2017 Accepted; 10 June. 2017; © The author(s) 2017. Published with open access at www.questjournals.org ABSTRACT: The presence of Radon gas in buildings is an indicator of air quality. The present study analyzes the amount of radon gas in the most singular construction of the city of Alicante (Spain): The Castle of Santa Bárbara. These infrastructures are very important for the city due to its historical character. Radon gas is considered to be highly harmful to human beings by different scientific agencies in the field of medicine and health, including the World Health Organization (WHO). The main effect of the presence of Radon in the human environment is the risk of lung cancer. This radioactive gaseous element is present in almost all the building materials, and in the lands in which the buildings are implanted. In Spain, the Technical Building Code (TBC) does not yet contemplate the maximum dose of Radon that one building can house and how to contain it. Keywords: Radon, Healthy Architecture, Building Materials, Environment I. INTRODUCTION Radioactivity is a physical phenomenon by which the unstable isotopes of certain chemical elements are able to lose energy and become other more stable isotopes. The process involves the emission of radiation in the form of electromagnetic waves (X-rays and gamma rays) or particles (alpha, beta and neutrons). This type of radiation is called ionizing because when it penetrates matter, it usually pulls electrons from the surrounding atoms by a process known as ionization. If the material is biological tissue with a high-water content, the ionization of water molecules can give rise to so-called free radicals that have a high chemical reactivity, sufficient to alter important molecules that are part of the tissues of living beings. These alterations may include chemical changes in DNA, the basic organic molecule that is part of the cells that make up our body [1]. These changes can lead to the appearance of biological effects, including the abnormal development of cells[2]. These alterations can be more or less severe depending on the dose of radiation received [3]. Three quarters of the radioactivity in the environment comes from the natural elements. In this sense, radon is the major source of natural radioactivity (Fig. 1) and the public health problem generated by its concentration and that of its descendants in drinking water or in the interior of the buildings has made people aware of that what has hitherto been considered a despicable fund has, at least, to be determined for its correct evaluation [4]. Radon gas is produced as a result of the disintegration of the uranium and thorium contained in the rocks. The amount of this gas that accumulates in a building depends on its situation, the materials that have been used in its construction and our way of life (ventilation and time in a stay). Radon emanates from rocks and concentrates in enclosed places, so it is highly recommended that homes and workplaces are properly ventilated[5].