what is radon known for

Key facts

• Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas which may be found in high concentrations in indoor environments, such as homes and workplaces.
• Radon is one of the leading causes of lung cancer.
• Radon is estimated to cause between 3% to 14% of all lung cancers in a country, depending on the national average radon level and smoking prevalence.

More items...

Full Answer

What are 5 facts about radon?

What are 5 facts about radon?

1. Radon is a Radioactive Gas.
2. Any Location Might Have Radon.
3. New Homes Aren’t Immune to Radon.
4. Radon Exposure Equals Radiation Exposure.
5. Mitigation is Often Possible.

What is radon and why you should know about it?

Radon testing is the only way to know whether your home has high levels of radon, a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer over time. Here's what you need to know about radon testing and reducing radon levels in your home. What is radon? Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s produced by decaying uranium.

How dangerous is radon really?

When radon gas enters the body, it exposes the lungs to small amounts of radiation. In small quantities, experts say this is harmless. However, in persistent exposures or larger quantities, radon can damage the cells of the lining of the lungs, increasing a person’s chance of developing lung cancer.

What is radon and why is it bad?

Radon gas is a byproduct of the natural decay of uranium in the soil. Radon decay particles emit Alpha, Gamma, and Beta radiation. The Alpha particles in radon gas are particularly damaging to lungs when inhaled, and can cause lung cancer in humans and animals. Studies by the Environmental Protection Agency have concluded that more than 20,000 ...

What are 3 things radon is used for?

A process called Radon hormesis is used to mitigate auto-immune diseases like arthritis. It is used in the treatment of cell damage and cancer. Radon is also used in radiation therapy.

What makes radon unique or special?

Radon is rare in nature because its isotopes are so short-lived and because its main source radium is also quite rare, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica.

What are 3 interesting facts about radon?

Here are a few facts about radon, and what you can do to help keep your family healthy and safe.Radon is radioactive. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. ... Radon causes cancer. ... No immediate symptoms. ... You must test for radon. ... Radon is present indoors and outdoors. ... Radon can build up in any building.

Does radon have any uses?

Radon has no commercial uses. Except where stated otherwise, this Case Study in Environmental Medicine uses “radon” to refer to radon-222 and its progeny. Radon (Rn) is a radioactive gas (Lewis 2001) that naturally occurs in different forms known as isotopes. Radon is a chemically and biologically inert noble gas.

What are 10 facts about radon?

The US EPA estimates the average indoor radon concentration is 1.3 picocuries per liter (pCi/L). It's estimated approximately 1 in 15 homes in the US has high radon, which is 4.0 pCi/L or higher. High radon levels been found in every state of the United States. Radon comes from the soil, water, and water supply.

Is radon The only radioactive noble gas?

Radon is a chemical element with the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas....RadonAppearancecolorless gasMass number[222]Radon in the periodic table38 more rows

Where is radon most commonly found?

Radon is present outdoors and is normally found at very low levels in outdoor air and in surface water, such as rivers and lakes. It can be found at higher levels in the air in houses and other buildings, as well as in water from underground sources, such as private well water.

Why is radon so common?

Radon is constantly being generated by the radium in rocks, soil, water and materials derived from rocks and soils, such as certain building materials. Radium is a decay product of uranium which is naturally occurring in the soils and rocks of the earth's crust.

Is radon an explosive?

While radon gas is a radioactive element, it's not explosive or rather reactive. Radon is a cancer-causing agent. The risk of developing lung cancer after someone has been exposed to radon depends on the period of exposure and the concentration level. Unlike other toxic gases, radon exposure doesn't show any symptoms.

Where is radon found in homes?

It sometimes gets concentrated in homes built on soil with natural uranium deposits. It can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls, construction joints, or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires or pumps. Radon levels are usually highest in the basement or crawl space.

How serious is radon in a home?

Radon is a radioactive gas emitted naturally from the ground. However, when radon gets trapped indoors—after entering a home through joints in walls, basement floors, foundations and other openings—it may concentrate at dangerous levels. And exposure to high levels of radon can cause lung cancer.

What causes radon in a house?

It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can build up.

Why is radon radioactive?

Radon itself is radioactive because it also decays to form the element polonium. Polonium is also radioactive - it is this element, which is produced by radon in the air and in people's lungs, that can hurt lung tissue and cause lung cancer. Radon is ubiquitous (usually in small amounts) in rock and soil and can be carried in water, air, ...

Where is radon found in the ground?

Radon in Blue Ridge Ground Water Among Highest In Nation. Radon concentrations in ground water from homeowners’ wells in the Blue Ridge area of the New River watershed, in parts of North Carolina and Virginia, were among the highest measured in the nation in a new report from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Where is radon found in drinking water?

Tests of 75 private drinking water wells in Lycoming County, in north-central Pennsylvania, found water from most of the sampled wells contained concentrations of radon that exceeded a proposed, nonbinding health standard for drinking water.

Is drinking water from a private well regulated?

The quality and safety of water from domestic wells, also known as private wells, are not regulated by the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act or, in most cases, by state laws. Rather, individual... DeSimone, Leslie A.; Hamilton, Pixie A.; Gilliom, Robert J.

How is radon produced?

Radon is produced by the radioactive decay of radium-226, which is found in uranium ores, phosphate rock, shales, igneous and metamorphic rocks such as granite, gneiss, and schist, and to a lesser degree, in common rocks such as limestone. Every square mile of surface soil, to a depth of 6 inches (2.6 km 2 to a depth of 15 cm), contains approximately 1 gram of radium, which releases radon in small amounts to the atmosphere. On a global scale, it is estimated that 2.4 billion curies (90 EBq) of radon are released from soil annually.

What is the temperature of radon?

2 ). It decomposes back to its elements at a temperature of above 523 K (250 °C; 482 °F), and is reduced by water to radon gas and hydrogen fluoride: it may also be reduced back to its elements by hydrogen gas.

Why is radon used in hydrology?

Because of radon's rapid loss to air and comparatively rapid decay, radon is used in hydrologic research that studies the interaction between groundwater and streams. Any significant concentration of radon in a stream is a good indicator that there are local inputs of groundwater.

How much radon is in the atmosphere?

The average concentration of radon in the atmosphere is about 6 × 10 −18 molar percent, or about 150 atoms in each milliliter of air. The radon activity of the entire Earth's atmosphere originates from only a few tens of grams of radon, consistently replaced by decay of larger amounts of radium, thorium, and uranium.

What is the density of radon?

At standard temperature and pressure, radon forms a monatomic gas with a density of 9.73 kg/m 3, about 8 times the density of the Earth's atmosphere at sea level, 1.217 kg/m 3. Radon is one of the densest gases at room temperature and is the densest of the noble gases.

Why is radon important in soil?

This fact has been put to use by some atmospheric scientists. Because of radon's rapid loss to air and comparatively rapid decay, radon is used in hydrologic research that studies the interaction between groundwater and streams. Any significant concentration of radon in a stream is a good indicator that there are local inputs of groundwater.

How many people die from lung cancer each year?

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking, causing 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked.

Why is radon rare?

Radon is rare in nature because its isotopes are all short-lived and because its source, radium, is a scarce element.

How many electrons does radon have?

Radon atoms possess a particularly stable electronic configuration of eight electrons in the outer shell, which accounts for the characteristic chemical inactivity of the element. Radon, however, is not chemically inert. For example, the existence of the compound radon difluoride, which is apparently more stable chemically than compounds ...

What is the atmosphere made of?

The atmosphere contains traces of radon near the ground as a result of seepage from soil and rocks, both of which contain minute quantities of radium. (Radium occurs as a natural decay product of uranium present in various types of rocks.) The periodic table is made up of 118 elements.

What is the longest isotope of radon?

Discovered in 1900 by German chemist Friedrich E. Dorn, radon-222 (3.823-day half-life), the longest-lived isotope, arises in the uranium series.

What is the temperature of radon-222?

When a mixture of trace amounts of radon-222 and fluorine gas is heated to approximately 400 °C (752 °F), a nonvolatile radon fluoride is formed.

What is a tube of gas?

The tube of gas is a source of penetrating gamma rays , which come mainly from one of radon’s decay products, bismuth-214. Such tubes of radon have been used for radiation therapy and radiography. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now.

Is radon a difluoride?

The products of these fluorination reactions have not been analyzed in detail because of their small masses and intense radioactivity. Nevertheless, by comparing reactions of radon with those of krypton and xenon it has been possible to deduce that radon forms a difluoride, RnF 2, and derivatives of the difluoride.

What is a radon gas?

Radon is an odorless and invisible radioactive gas released when some naturally occurring radioactive materials break down in rocks, soil and water and can build up to dangerous levels inside homes or buildings.

How to reduce radon levels in home?

recommends additional actions you can take to reduce high radon levels in your home and protect yourself from an increased risk of lung cancer. Stop smoking and discourage smoking in your home. Smoking significantly increases the risk of lung cancer from radon. Increase air flow in your house by opening windows and using fans ...

Can radon build up in a house?

Any home can have a radon problem. Whether your home is drafty or well-sealed, radon can still build up and get trapped inside. Radon can enter the home through several ways. Cracks in solid floors and walls. Construction joints. Gaps in suspended floors. Gaps around service pipes. Cavities inside walls.

Can you get lung cancer from radon?

Your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on: How much radon is in your home–the location where you spend most of your time (for example, the main living and sleeping areas). The amount of time you spend in your home. Whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked.

Is radon resistant construction cheaper?

Ask about radon-resistant construction techniques. external icon. if you are buying a new home. It is almost always cheaper and easier to build these features into new homes than to add them later. Radon can also be a problem in schools and workplaces.

Can radon cause cancer?

Over time, these radioactive particles increase the risk of lung cancer. It may take years before health problems appear. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking.

How does radon build up in a house?

Typically, radon moves up through the ground to the air above and into homes through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon, where it can build up once inside. Homes of any age and construction can have radon.

How does radon affect lung health?

Smoking combined with radon exposure poses an especially serious health risk. The chance of getting lung cancer from radon depends on: 1 How much radon is in your home 2 The amount of time you spend in your home 3 Whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked

Can radon cause lung cancer?

Not all people exposed to elevated radon levels will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and onset of disease may be years. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking). Smoking combined with radon exposure poses an especially serious health risk.

How to test for radon in home?

Having your home tested is the only effective way to determine whether you and your family are exposed to high levels of radon. Steps you can take to measure and reduce radon levels include: 1 Purchasing a radon test kit#N#Find a Radon Test Kit or Measurement and Mitigation Professional#N#external icon 2 Testing your home or office#N#Testing is inexpensive and easy — it should only take a few minutes of your time. It requires opening a package and placing a small measuring device in a room and leaving it there for the desired period. Short-term testing can take from a few days to 90 days. Long-term testing takes more than 90 days. The longer the test, the more relevant the results are to your home and lifestyle. 3 Sending the kit to appropriate sources to determine radon level#N#Follow the directions on the test kit packaging to find out where to send the device to get the results. 4 Fixing your home if radon levels are high#N#Consumer’s Guide to Radon Reduction: How to Fix Your Home#N#pdf icon#N#[413 KB]#N#external icon

How long does it take to get radon test results?

Long-term testing takes more than 90 days. The longer the test, the more relevant the results are to your home and lifestyle. Sending the kit to appropriate sources to determine radon level. Follow the directions on the test kit packaging to find out where to send the device to get the results.

How can I get radon?

People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it.

Can you get lung cancer from burning wood?

Whether you burn wood, coal, or other substances that add particles to the indoor air. The chances of getting lung cancer are higher if your home has elevated rad on levels and you smoke or burn fuels that increase indoor particles. CDC’s Radon Communication Toolkit is designed for environmental and public health professionals to use ...

Where is radon gas found?

Radon gas is a ubiquitous element found in rock and soil. The burning of coal and other fossil fuels also releases radon. When radon escapes from soil or is discharged from emission stacks to the outdoor air, it is diluted to levels that are normally, but not always, lower than indoor air. Top of Page.

What are the sources of radon in a home?

Building materials, the water supply, and natural gas can all be sources of radon in the home. Basements allow more opportunity for soil gas entry than slab-on-grade foundations. Showering and cooking can release radon into the air by aerosolizing household water (from a well) and burning natural gas.

How many homes have radon?

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 6%, or approximately 6 million U.S. homes, have concentrations of radon above 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) (EPA 2009c). Radon gas can enter a building and then become trapped indoors.

What surfaces do radon particles attach to?

Due to radon progeny’s charged state and solid nature, they rapidly attach to most surfaces they encounter, including airborne particles (e.g., dust), walls, floors, ventilation equipment, and clothing. Increased levels of radon have been identified in every state.

What are some household activities that release radon?

Sheet rock, and. Stone products. Cooking with a gas stove and showering are household activities during which radon may be released from gas and water to the air (see water and natural gas above). The U.S. Congress has mandated that each state set up an office to deal with requests for radon assistance.

Is radon in groundwater?

The concentration of radon in water from wells may be higher than that from surface sources. Compared with surface water, groundwater tends to have more direct and longer contact with rocks and soil, allowing more of the uranium and thorium decay chain progeny to leach out.

Is radon in natural gas?

Radon is also present in natural gas. Natural gas had previously been in contact with underground uranium and thorium-bearing rock and soil that continually release radon. The radon and its progeny remain with the natural gas as it travels through distribution pipes and into homes.

Overview

Characteristics

History and etymology

Occurrence

Applications

Health risks

See also

External links