Radon is a radioactive gas that has been found in homes all over the United States. It comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water and gets into the air you breathe. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive, colorless, odorless gas. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in American non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. It can collect in homes, buildings, and even in the water supply. Radon gas is formed naturally when uranium-238 undergoes radioactive decay, producing energy and several radioactive products such as radon-222 and thorium-232. (The thorium later decays to emit energy and radon-220.) Radon is more commonly found where uranium is relatively abundant in bedrock at the surface, often in granite, shale, and limestone.
Radon concentrations are generally high throughout the Northwest Central US (Figure 10.22). Uranium is relatively concentrated in the granites and metamorphic rocks of the Rocky Mountains, Black Hills, and Basin and Range, as well as in the sediments eroded from these areas. Uranium is also concentrated in some Paleogene sandstones and coal deposits. Taken together, these areas account for a broad part of the Northwest Central. There are, however, areas that are moderate or low in radon—the Sandhills of northwest Nebraska have the lowest radon concentrations in the Northwest Central. This area is composed of windblown sediment that was separated from the clay and heavier minerals that contain relatively high amounts of uranium. In the Columbia Plateau, radon associated with basalt bedrock is also lower in concentration than that found in the mountains farther north.
Radon is chemically inert, meaning that it does not react or combine with elements in the ground, and it can move up through rocks and soil into the atmosphere. It is dangerous primarily when it accumulates indoors, creating a health hazard similar to that of secondhand smoke. Radon gas finds its way through cracks in basement foundations, sump pump wells, dirt floor crawlspaces, and basement floor drains. It can also be found in well and municipal water. Since radon is more easily released from warm water than from cold water, one of the greatest forms of exposure likely occurs while showering in water with high radon levels.
Radon cannot be detected by sight or smell, so there is no way that the body can sense its presence. Fortunately, with proper monitoring and mitigation (reduction) techniques, radon gas can be easily reduced to low levels. One technique that is often used in homes involves sealing cracks in the basement floor, covering drains, and installing ventilation systems. A well-ventilated space will prevent the radon from accumulating and will reduce the risk of exposure. Most states have licensed radon mitigation specialists who are trained in the proper testing and mitigation of radon levels in buildings.
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Where does radon
come from?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive, colorless, odorless gas. It is the leading cause of lung cancer in American non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer overall. It can collect in homes, buildings, and even in the water supply.
Radon gas is formed naturally when uranium- 238 undergoes radioactive decay, producing energy and several radioactive products such as radon-222 and thorium- 232. (The thorium later decays to emit energy and radon-220.) Radon is more commonly found where uranium is relatively abundant in bedrock at the surface, often in granite, shale, and limestone.
Radon concentrations are generally high throughout the Northwest Central US (Figure 10.22). Uranium is relatively concentrated in the granites and metamorphic rocks of the Rocky Mountains, Black Hills, and Basin and Range, as well as in the sediments eroded from these areas. Uranium is also concentrated
Paleogene sandstones and coal deposits. Taken together, these areas account for a broad part of the Northwest Central. There are, however, areas that are moderate or low in radon—the Sandhills of northwest Nebraska have the lowest radon concentrations in the Northwest Central. This area is composed of windblown sediment that was separated from the clay and heavier minerals that contain relatively high amounts of uranium. In the Columbia Plateau, radon associated with basalt bedrock is also lower in concentration than that found in the mountains farther north.
Radon is chemically inert, meaning that it does not react or combine with elements in the ground, and it can move up through rocks and soil into the atmosphere. It is dangerous primarily when it accumulates indoors, creating a health hazard similar to that of secondhand smoke. Radon gas finds its way through cracks in basement foundations, sump pump wells, dirt floor crawlspaces, and basement floor drains. It can also be found in well and municipal water. Since radon is more easily released from warm water than from cold water, one of the greatest forms of exposure likely occurs while showering in water with high radon levels.
Radon cannot be detected by sight or smell, so there is no way that the body can sense its presence. Fortunately, with proper monitoring and mitigation (reduction) techniques, radon gas can be easily reduced to low levels. One technique that is often used in homes involves sealing cracks in the basement floor, covering drains, and installing ventilation systems. A well-ventilated space will prevent the radon from accumulating and will reduce the risk of exposure. Most states have licensed radon mitigation specialists who are trained in the proper testing and mitigation of radon levels in buildings.
So what is uranium?
"Awareness is the greatest agent for change ... Eckhart Tolle
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