Why is radon a health hazard?
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless radioactive gaseous element produced by the radioactive decay of radium, thorium, or actinium. Radon, which has three naturally occurring isotopes (two or more forms of an element with the same atomic number, or same number of protons in their nuclei, but different atomic masses, or number of neutrons in their nuclei), is found in many natural materials, such as soil, rocks, well water, and building materials. Because radon is continually released into the air, it makes up the largest source of radiation that humans receive. Some scientists believe that radon may cause cancer, especially lung cancer. It has been estimated that radon is the cause of as many as 5,000 to 20,000 (10 percent of the total) lung cancer deaths annually. Radon seems to pose a greater cancer-causing threat to smokers than to nonsmokers. The United States Environmental…
