RadonWhat is it? Where is it? Is it bad?What is radon? Radon is a naturally occurring colorless, odo

RadonWhat is it? Where is it? Is it bad?What is radon? Radon is a naturally occurring colorless, odorless, tasteless gas, which also is radioactive. It is a decay product, daughter, of either thorium or uranium. It’s most common and stable form, Radon-222, has a half-life of 3.8 days, and will eventually decay in to Lead-206. It was discovered in 1900 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn.Where is it? Everywhere. The parent isotopes of radon can be found in shale, granite, phosphates, and even limestone. Though it’s concentration varies widely from place to place by several orders of magnitude it can be detected almost everywhere on the planet, even over the oceans. Radon is measured in picocuries (US), pCi (SI unit becquerel (Bq), conversion 1pCi = 37Bq). Average concentrations can range from .03 to 2.7pCi/m3. Radon is also the source of the majority of the radiation exposure for the public.Is it bad? Yes, in high enough concentrations. Radon-222 is on the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s list of carcinogens. In the US it is estimated to cause about 14,000 lung cancer deaths per year. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has set an action limit of 4pCi/L. If a building, usually the basement, is found to have levels of radon above this limit there are numerous mitigation techniques that can be used to minimize exposure including installing a positive pressure ventilation system.—AdamImage Credit: USGSFurther Readinghttp://www.epa.gov/radon/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon#Naturalhttp://www.radon.com/radon/radon_facts.html -- source link

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