What is Radon?
Radon is a radioactive gas. It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert. Unless you test for it, there is no way of telling how much is present. Radon is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Naturally existing, low levels of uranium occur widely in Earth’s crust. It can be found in all 50 states. Once produced, radon moves through the ground to the air above. Some remains below the surface and dissolves in water that collects and flows under the ground’s surface. Radon has a half-life of about four days – half of a given quantity of it breaks down every four days. When radon undergoes radioactive decay, it emits ionizing radiation in the form of alpha particles. It also produces short-lived decay products, often called progeny or daughters, some of which are also radioactive. Unlike radon, the progeny are not gases and can easily attach to dust and other particles.
A. Radon is a radioactive gas that is formed naturally by the radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. Radon also breaks down further to form additional radioactive particles called radon daughters, or “progeny”. Radon is slowly released from the ground, water, and some building materials that contain very small amounts of uranium, such as concrete, bricks, tiles and gyproc. Radon cannot be detected by the senses, i.e., it is colourless, odourless and tasteless; however, it can be detected with special instruments. When radon escapes from the ground into outdoor air it mixes with fresh air resulting in concentrations too low to be of concern. However, when radon enters an enclosed space, such as a building, it can accumulate to high concentrations.
Radon is a radioactive gas. You can’t see it, you can’t smell it, and you can’t taste it. The only way you’ll know if it’s present is if you test for it. Radon is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Naturally existing, low levels of uranium occur widely in the Earth’s crust. Once produced, radon moves through the ground to the air above. Some remains below the surface and dissolves in water that collects and flows under the ground’s surface. When radon begins to decay, it emits ionizing radiation in the form of alpha particles. It also produces short-lived decay products, often called progeny or daughters, some of which are also radioactive. Unlike radon, the progeny are not gases and can easily attach to dust and other particles. Those particles can be transported by air and can be inhaled. The decay of progeny continues until stable, non-radioactive progeny are formed. At each step in the decay process, radiation is released.
