What is radon?

Posted by : Radon Mitigation System 

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas. It forms naturally from the decay of radioactive elements, such as uranium, which are found at different levels in soil and rock throughout the world. Radon gas in the soil and rock can transfer to the air and into ground water and surface water.

Radon exists outdoors and indoors. It's normally available at very low levels in outdoor air and in drinking water from rivers and lakes. It can be available at higher levels in the air in houses along with other buildings, as well as in water from underground sources, such as well water.

Radon stops working (decays) into solid radioactive elements called radon progeny (such as polonium-218, polonium-214, and lead-214). Radon progeny can affix to dust along with other particles and can be breathed into the lungs. As radon and radon progeny in the air break down, they provide a alpha particles, a form of high-energy radiation that can damage the DNA inside the body's cells.
How are people subjected to radon?Both at home and in other buildings

For both adults and children, most exposure to radon comes from being indoors in homes, commercial complexes, schools, and other places. The levels of radon in homes and other buildings depend on the characteristics of the rock and soil in the region. Consequently, radon levels vary greatly in different parts of the United States, even within neighborhoods. Elevated radon levels have been discovered in every state.

The radon gas radiated by soil or rock can enter buildings through cracks in floors or walls; construction joints; or gaps in foundations around pipes, wires, or pumps. Radon levels are often highest in the basement or crawl space. This level is closest to the soil or rock that is the source of the radon. Therefore, people who spend a lot of their amount of time in basement rooms both at home and at the office have a greater risk for being exposed.
Small quantities of radon may also be released from your water supply into the air, especially if the water source is underground. As the radon moves from the water to air, it can be inhaled. Water that comes from deep, underground wells in rock may have higher levels of radon, whereas surface water (utilized by lakes or rivers) normally has very low radon levels. For the most part, water does not contribute much to overall exposure to radon.

Radon exposure also occurs from some building materials if they're made from radon-containing substances. Almost any building material made from natural substances, including concrete and wallboard, may give off some level of radon. In most cases these levels are very low, but in a few instances these materials may contribute significantly to radon exposure.

Some granite countertops may expose people to different levels of radon. Most health and radiation experts agree that while a small portion of granite countertops may give off increased levels of radon, most countertops give off extremely lower levels. People worried about radon from countertops and from other household sources can test these levels using home detection kits or by hiring a professional to do the testing (begin to see the section "How can I avoid exposure to radon?" below).

Radon levels in the air are measured by units of radioactivity per volume of air. The most common measure used is picocuries per liter (pCi/L). According to the US Epa (EPA), the typical indoor radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. People should take action to lower radon levels in your home if the level is 4.0 pCi/L or higher. The EPA estimates that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the United States may have elevated radon levels.

Outdoors, radon generally disperses and does not reach high levels. Average levels of radon outdoors, according to the EPA, are about 0.4 pCi/L.
At certain jobs

In the workplace, people working underground, such as some types of miners, are among the most likely to be subjected to high levels of radon. High death rates from lung problems among miners in some parts of the world were first noted hundreds of years ago, long before people knew what radon was. Studies of radon-exposed miners during the 1950s and 1960s confirmed the hyperlink between radon exposure and cancer of the lung.

Higher levels of radon exposure are also more likely for people who work in uranium processing factories or who come in contact with phosphate fertilizers, which may have high levels of radium (an element that may break up into radon).
Does radon cause cancer?

Long-term exposure to radon can lead to lung cancer. Radon gas in the air stops working to other radioactive elements (radon progeny). Radon progeny are tiny radioactive particles that can lodge in the lining of the lungs, where they continue to break down into other radioactive elements by releasing radiation. The radiation released in this “radioactive decay” process can damage lung cells and eventually lead to lung cancer.

Cigarette smoking is by far the most common cause of lung cancer in the United States, but radon is the second leading cause. Scientists estimate that about 20,000 cancer of the lung deaths per year are based on radon.
Contact with the combination of radon gas and cigarette smoke creates a and the higher chances for lung cancer than either factor alone. Most radon-related lung cancers occur among smokers. However, radon can also be thought to cause a significant number of lung cancer deaths among non-smokers in the United States each year.

Some research has suggested that radon exposure may be associated with other types of cancer as well. But the evidence for such links has been inconsistent and not nearly as strong as it is for lung cancer. Because radon and its progeny are absorbed mainly by inhaling, and since the alpha particles they provide a travel only a short distance, it is unlikely they'd affect other tissues in your body.

The evidence that radon causes cancer of the lung comes from studies in people and studies done in the lab.