Science Advocacy
Science Advocacy
Welcome to “chemicals and society,” where we highlight the current understanding of the biological effects and safety of some of the most common chemicals in today’s society.
What is radon?
Radon is an element with the atomic number of 86. Radon is always radioactive, which means it is unstable and releases energy in the form of alpha decay radioactivity (other types of radioactive decay include beta and gamma decay). Usually, in terms of human health, alpha decay radioactivity is the least concerning, because the alpha particles generally cannot penetrate through clothes or skin. Radon, unfortunately, is a gas, and that makes it dangerous, because you can breathe it in, and once inside you, the radioactivity can damage your lungs.
How are people exposed to radon?
Radon doesn’t hang around very long; it has a half-life of less than 4 days. However, it is a breakdown product of uranium and thorium, which are two of the most common radioactive elements in the Earth’s crust. This means that if there is any uranium or thorium in the soil, radon will always be present, because it is constantly being generated by the decay of these other radioactive elements. Radon is actually just one stop on a long chain of “daughter” elements in the stages of decay for uranium and thorium, as they eventually decay into lead, but it is the one we are most concerned with because it is the only one that is a gas, while all the rest are solids.
People are mainly exposed to radon through the air in the basements or crawl spaces of buildings. Here, radon slowly leaches out of the surrounding soil and accumulates due to poor ventilation. How much radon might find its way into a basement depends on the geology of the soil around you. Radon tends to be particularly high in parts of Iowa and Pennsylavania, but it can be a problem pretty much anywhere. Radon can also end up in well or hot spring water. Not surprisingly, it is also a problem in uranium mines.
What are the health effects of radon?
Once in your lungs, the radiation from radon can cause lung cancer. It is believed that radon is the number-two cause of lung caner, far behind smoking. These effects are most obvious in workers from uranium mines. Before we figured out that radon was an issue, many people died of lung cancer after working in uranium mines or other types of mines which happened to be in high-uranium areas.
How can I protect myself from radon?
There is good news here. It’s actually pretty easy to protect yourself. You can buy radon sensors, which can tell you how much radon is in your basement or crawl space. If there is too much, there are simple systems that can be installed – basically simple positive air pressure ventilation systems – that will keep the levels of radon in the safe zone. Testing is pretty standard when selling any house with a basement in most of the United States, or you can do the testing yourself if you are worried.
What is the bottom line?
Radon is dangerous, but easily detected and dealt with. If levels in your basement weren’t tested before you bought your house, it’s a good idea to get it tested.
