Jim+A-Radon

[[image:http://periodictable.com/Samples/086.4/s9s.JPG align="right"]]Radon
Radon (Rn-86) is a colourless, radioactive chemical element that is the product of decaying radium. Human senses cannot locate it in any way. It is gas form in room temprature and a very stable isotope. It lasts for 3.8 days. The radioactivity levels cause it to be less studied than most other elements but still a relative amount is known about it. Radon is also part of the uranium decay chain.

Uranium, radium, and thus radon, will continue to occur for millions of years at about the same concentrations as they do now.[1] Radon is responsible for the majority of the mean public exposure to ionizing radiation. It is often the single largest contributor to an individual's background radiation dose, and is the most variable from location to location. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as attics, and basements. It can also be found in some spring waters and hot springs.[2] Epidemiological evidence shows a clear link between breathing high concentrations of radon and incidence of lung cancer. Thus, radon is considered a significant contaminant that affects indoor air quality worldwide. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking, causing 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States.[3]