The dangers of radon as a radioactive gas

Introduction
Radon is the last member of the noble gas family. The noble gases are the elements that
make up Group 18 (VIIIA) of the periodic table. The periodic table is a chart that shows how
chemical elements are related to one another. The noble gases get their name because they are
chemically inactive. They combine with other substances under only extreme conditions. Their
tendency to avoid contact with other elements was seen by early chemists as "royal" or "noble"
behavior. The noble gases are also called the inert gases.
Radon is a radioactive element. A radioactive element is one that gives off radiation and breaks
down to form a different element. Radon is formed when heavier radioactive elements,
like uranium and thorium, break down. In turn, radon breaks down to form lighter elements,
such as lead and bismuth.
SYMBOL
Rn
ATOMIC NUMBER
86
ATOMIC MASS
222.0176
FAMILY
Group 18 (VIIIA)
Noble gas

A scientific description
Properties
Radon is a gaseous highly radioactive element discovered by English physicist Ernest
Rutherford in 1899. The discovery is also credited to German physicist Friedrich Ernst Dorn in
1900. More specifically, Rutherford discovered radon's alpha radiation and Dorn discovered that
radium was releasing a gas.
Radon is a colorless chemically-unreactive inert gas. 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
(unlike oxygen, O2, which is comprised of two atoms) it easily penetrates many common
materials like paper, leather, low density plastic (like plastic bags, etc.) most paints, and building
materials like gypsum board (sheetrock), concrete block, mortar, sheathing paper (tarpaper),
wood paneling, and most insulations.
Radon is also fairly soluble in water and organic solvents. Although reaction with other
compounds is comparatively rare, it is not completely inert and forms stable molecules with
highly electronegative materials. Radon is considered a noble gas that occurs in several isotopic
forms. Only two are found in significant concentrations in the human environment: radon-222,
and radon-220. Radon-222 is a member of the radioactive decay chain of uranium-238. Radon220 is formed in the decay chain of thorium-232. Radon-222 decays in a sequence of
radionuclides called radon decay products, radon daughters, or radon progeny. It is radon-222
that most readily occurs in the environment. Atmospheric releases of radon-222 results in the
formation of decay products that are radioisotopes of heavy metals (polonium, lead, bismuth)

and rapidly attach to other airborne materials such as dust and other materials facilitating
inhalation.

Uses
The uses for radon all depend on the radiation it gives off. That radiation cannot be seen,
smelled, tasted, or detected by any other human sense. However, a number of instruments have
been invented for detecting this radiation. For example, a Geiger counter is a device that makes a
clicking sound or flashes a light when radiation passes through it.
As a solid, radon changes its color from yellow to orange-red as its temperature decreases. It is a
dramatic sight since it also glows because of the intense radiation being produced.
One use of radon based on this principle is in leak detection. An isotope of radon is added to a
flow of gas or liquid through
a tube. A Geiger counter can be passed along the outside of the tube. If radiation is present, the
Geiger counter makes a sound or flashes a light. The presence of radiation indicates a leak in the
tube. This principle is applied in many other systems to study materials that cannot actually be
seen.
Radon was once commonly used to treat cancer too. The radiation it gives off kills cancer cells.
However, the element must be used with great care because radiation can kill healthy cells as
well. In fact, the bad side-effects of radiation therapy are caused by the killing of healthy cells by
radiation. Today, radon is not as widely used for the treatment of cancer. More efficient isotopes
have been found that are easier and safer to work with.

Compounds
Chemists are trying to make compounds of radon, but the task is difficult. One compound
that has been made is radon fluoride. In any event, such compounds are laboratory curiosities
and have no commercial uses.

Production
Radon is not produced as a commercial product. Radon is a naturally occurring
radioactive gas and comes from the natural breakdown (radioactive decay) of uranium. It is
usually found in igneous rock and soil, but in some cases, well water may also be a source of
radon.

Exposure
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 important.

Radon bellow the surface

In comparison with levels in outdoor air, humans in confined air spaces, particularly in
underground work areas such as mines and buildings, are exposed to elevated
concentrations of radon and its decay products. Exhalation of radon from ordinary rock and
soils and from radon-rich water can cause significant radon concentrations in tunnels, power
stations, caves, public baths, and spas. The average radon concentrations in houses are
generally much lower than the average radon concentrations in underground ore mines.
Workers are exposed to radon in several occupations. In countries for which data were
available, concentrations of radon decay products in underground mines are now typically
less than 1000 Bq/m3 EEC Rn (approx. 28 pCi/l). Underground uranium miners are exposed
to the highest levels of radon and its decay products. Other underground workers and certain
mineral processing workers may also be exposed to significant levels.

How radon enters a house?

Radon moves through small spaces in the soil and rock on which a house is built and can seep
into a home through dirt floors, floor drains, sump pits, cracks in the foundation and basement
floor & up through hollow core block foundation walls. Differences in air pressure between the
basement and the soil beneath the home also play a part in the migration of radon gas. The EPA
(US Environmental Protection Agency) has set the level of concern at 4 picoCuries of radon per
liter of air (4 pCi/L). This is a very low concentration, roughly one radon atom in a billion-billion
air atoms, however, the radon atoms are radioactive and that makes the difference. We breathe
about 20 liters of air into out lungs each minute. At 4 pCi/L we accumulate about 10,000
radioactive atoms in our lungs, trachea, and bronchi every minute.