what is radon classified as

What is radon and why is it dangerous?

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is the primary cause of lung cancer for nonsmokers and the secondary cause for smokers. Because it is a gas, radon moves up through the soil into the atmosphere, where it dilutes and dissipates.

Is RADON a real problem?

While a trace amount of radon isn't a huge problem, high levels of radon and frequent exposure can dramatically increase your risk of lung cancer. You can learn more about the different levels of radon here. How can I reduce my risk of radon poisoning?

Is radon really that dangerous?

Radon is a dangerous gas. It is odorless and colorless, which makes it even more dangerous. After all, there is a chance that radon is a problem in your home without you even knowing it. Radon is actually in the atmosphere, although only in trace amounts. Because it disperses quickly outside, it’s not typically dangerous.

What is radon and what does it do to humans?

Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.

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Is radon a nonmetal?

The chemical element radon is classed as a noble gas and a nonmetal. It was discovered in 1900 by Fredrich E. Dorn.

What is the family of radon?

the noble gas familyRadon is the last member of the noble gas family. The noble gases are the elements that make up Group 18 (VIIIA) of the periodic table.

What property is radon?

Radon is colorless at standard temperature and pressure and it is the most dense gas known. At temperature below it's freezing point is has a brilliant yellow phosphorescence. It is chemically unreactive, it is highly radioactive and has a short half life.

What type of radiation is radon?

ionizing radiationRadon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas without color, odor, or taste that undergoes radioactive decay and emits ionizing radiation.

Is radon a radiation?

Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes.

Is radon an inert gas?

Radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer. Radon gas is inert, colorless and odorless. Radon is naturally in the atmosphere in trace amounts.

Is radon a heavy metal?

Radon in Nature All are heavy metals except for one — radon gas, the heaviest gas in nature. As it slowly oozes from the ground, radon is all around us in the air we breathe. Fortunately, it is well-diluted in the outdoor air. The average radon level in ambient air is 0.4 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter).

What is radon known for?

Radon is a colourless and odourless gas. It is chemically inert, but radioactive. Radon decays into radioactive polonium and alpha particles. This emitted radiation made radon useful in cancer therapy.

Is radon the same as radiation?

Radon is a specific element that is known to produce radiation through radioactive decay, whereas radiation is a phenomenon that occurs in a variety of situations. Radon comes from specific geological formations containing minerals that are rich in certain radioactive elements, such as uranium.

Is radon a gamma radiation?

Alpha radiation, beta radiation, and gamma radiation are emitted out under the radioactive decay chain of radon.

Is radon gas Nuclear?

Everything you need to know about radon Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas. It is formed by the radioactive decay of the small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils.

Is radon an alpha particle?

RADON GAS and ALPHA RADIATION Radon emits alpha particle radiation, which, as it has mass, is very different to the more commonly known (and less dangerous) x-ray radiation that is made up of photons (light).

What is the middle spectrum of radon?

Numbers at the side of the spectrum are wavelengths. The middle spectrum is of Radium emanation (radon), while the outer two are of helium (added to calibrate the wavelengths).

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.

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.

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.

Where does radon come from?

Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium, which is found in most soils. As the uranium decays, it releases Radon into the surrounding air. Most of the time, this Radon gas will filter out into the open air and disperse.

What is the average radon level?

The average outdoor level of Radon gas is about 0.4 pCi/L, while the average indoor level is approximately 1.3 pCi/L. As you can see, the recommended limit is much higher than both of those numbers. The US Congress has actually set a goal to achieve indoor Radon levels that do not exceed the outdoor levels.

How much does a radon test cost?

Radon testing kits can be anywhere from $15 all the way up to $60 depending on how advanced the test is. You can purchase testing kits from hardware stores, retail outlets, local health departments and online – which is actually one of the easiest and cheapest places to find them.

How long can you leave a radon detector in your house?

Long-term tests call for leaving a device or tool in your house for much longer than 90 days. Long-term tests are specifically designed to give you an accurate reading of year-round Radon levels. Conducting a Radon test in your home or business is actually very simple and it is also relatively inexpensive.

How much more radiation is in a home with radon?

A family that lives in a home with that same level of Radon gas, is exposed to nearly 35 times more radiation than the Nuclear Regulatory Commission would allow for, if they were near a radioactive waste site. The one thing we can definitely conclude from all of that information is that Radon is a pretty big deal.

How many people die from radon poisoning every year?

Where Can I Find More Information About Radon? Did you know that Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer? The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General’s Office estimate that as many as 20,000 lung cancer deaths are caused every year by Radon poisoning.

Why are children more sensitive to radon?

Some scientific studies have shown that children may be much more sensitive to radon exposure, because they see higher respiratory rates and rapidly dividing cells - as they grow.

What are the two studies that confirm the radon health risks?

Two studies, a North American study and a European study, both combined data from several previous residential studies. These two studies go a step beyond earlier findings. They confirm the radon health risks predicted by occupational studies of underground miners who breathed radon for a period of years.

What is the purpose of the World Health Organization's radon project?

In an effort to reduce the rate of lung cancer around the world, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched an international radon project to help countries increase awareness, collect data and encourage action to reduce radon-related risks.

Is radon a serious health problem?

This report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is the most definitive accumulation of scientific data on indoor radon. The report confirms that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S. and that it is a serious public health problem.

Who issued the Advisory on Radon?

(January 13, 2005) U.S. Surgeon General, Richard H. Carmona, issues a Health Advisory warning Americans about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. The Chief Physician urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing.

Is radon a cancer?

A smoker who is also exposed to radon has a much higher risk of lung cancer. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year.

What is Radon gas?

Chemically speaking, radon is a colourless, odourless, and tasteless radioactive noble gas. This gas is produced by the decay of radium, which can be found in a number of common minerals such as uranium and/or phosphate ores. Almost all rocks contain at least some concentration of uranium, typically around 1 – 3 ppm (Michaela Kreuzer, 2010).

How are we exposed to radon gas?

Radon gas is present in both air and water. When present in outdoor air, radon gas is typically so dilute that it does not pose any serious concern. It is when we talk about indoor or household air that radon becomes troublesome.

Why worry about Radon gas?

Now knowing what radon gas is and how humans can be exposed to it, it is also important to consider why one should be wary about radon gas exposure. It was only during the late 1960’s to early 1970’s that the negative health effects of radon gas and its decay products were proven.

What can we do about Radon gas?

The only way to tell if a home to susceptible to elevated levels of radon gas is to have it tested. Because the levels of radon gas can vary based on recipitation, barometric pressure, and other influences; indoor radon gas levels can vary from day-to-day.

How to Reduce Radon Levels in Your Home

When the radon levels in your home exceed Canada’s guidelines, stating 200 becquerels/m3, it’s time to seek professional help in reducing radon levels to an acceptable measure. The higher the radon levels, the more urgent it is to remediate.

Why Radon is so Dangerous (and What You Can Do About It)

Indoor air pollution comes in a variety of forms. We have covered artificial contaminants like volatile organic compounds and the hazards of kitchen air, as well as natural airborne substances like mold and dust mites.

Radon: a natural-born killer

The earth is full of radon, which is considered a noble gas that occurs as a byproduct of decaying radium, a trace element that has been found on the earth since its formation.

How radon is detected

One of the first clues that indoor radon levels could be dangerous was discovered in 1985, when a worker at a nuclear power plant tested positive for a massive degree of radioactive contamination. This was confusing given that the plant was under construction and held no radioactive material at the time.

The only effective way to remove radon

Unfortunately, radon is much harder to remove than it is to detect. Activated carbon adsorbs radon to some degree, but experts do not recommend using air filtration to remove radon. Instead, organizations like the EPA and the WHO advise you to actively pump air from beneath the ground, so any radon gas is drawn out and vented above the building.

Overview

Occurrence

Characteristics

History and etymology

Applications

Health risks

See also

External links