Radon is a colorless chemically-unreactive inert gas. You cannot see it, smell it or taste it. The atomic radius is 1.34 angstroms and it is the heaviest known gas. Radon is nine times denser than air. Because it is a single atom gas it easily penetrates many common materials like paper, low density plastic, most paints, and building materials like gypsum board, concrete block, wood paneling, and most insulations. Radon was discovered by Ernest Rutherford and Robert B. Owens in 1899. Friedrich Ernst Dorn, who was a recognized German chemist, discovered that radium was releasing a gas in 1900 while studying radium’s decay chain.
Radon has been known as radon since 1923, however, it used to be originally named “niton” which means “shining” …show more content…
By sealing your home to keep radon from getting through cracks and openings, you can significantly reduce your home's radon levels. You may need to install a separate radon ventilation system in your home to remove high levels. Less frequently, radon may enter buildings from radon-contaminated drinking water used in bathroom showers and sprays, though this occurs only when the water comes from a private well. More recently, concerns have been raised about the radon released indoors from granite countertops or tiles. However, these sources are rarely a problem by themselves. Radon is number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, it’s responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who has never smoked. The primary routes of potential human exposure to radon are inhalation and ingestion. Radon in the ground, groundwater, or building materials enters working and living spaces and disintegrates into its decay products. Although high concentrations of radon in groundwater may contribute to radon exposure through ingestion, the inhalation of radon released from water is usually more
Radon has been known as radon since 1923, however, it used to be originally named “niton” which means “shining” …show more content…
By sealing your home to keep radon from getting through cracks and openings, you can significantly reduce your home's radon levels. You may need to install a separate radon ventilation system in your home to remove high levels. Less frequently, radon may enter buildings from radon-contaminated drinking water used in bathroom showers and sprays, though this occurs only when the water comes from a private well. More recently, concerns have been raised about the radon released indoors from granite countertops or tiles. However, these sources are rarely a problem by themselves. Radon is number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, it’s responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who has never smoked. The primary routes of potential human exposure to radon are inhalation and ingestion. Radon in the ground, groundwater, or building materials enters working and living spaces and disintegrates into its decay products. Although high concentrations of radon in groundwater may contribute to radon exposure through ingestion, the inhalation of radon released from water is usually more