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Posted on Mar 15, 2012, 5 p.m.
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Radon is one of the densest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions. It is also the only gas that is radioactive under normal conditions, and is considered a health hazard due to its radioactivity.
Element Name: Radon
Symbol: Rn
Atomic Number: 86
Atomic Weight: 222 (this element has no stable isotopes; this is the mass number of the isotope with the longest half-life)
Element Category: Noble gas
General Description:
Radon is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Radon is one of the densest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions. It is also the only gas that is radioactive under normal conditions, and is considered a health hazard due to its radioactivity.
Effects on Human Body:
Radon is formed as part of the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium and thorium. As the radioactive gas of radon decays, it produces new radioactive elements called radon daughters or decay products. Radon daughters are solids and stick to surfaces such as dust particles in the air. If contaminated dust is inhaled, these particles can stick to the airways of the lung and increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
Rage E, Vacquier B, Blanchardon E, Allodji RS, Marsh JW, Caër-Lorho S, Acker A, Laurier D. Risk of Lung Cancer Mortality in Relation to Lung Doses among French Uranium Miners: Follow-Up 1956-1999. Radiat Res. 2011 Dec 29.
Radon is responsible for the majority of the 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.
Al Zabadi H, Musmar S, Issa S, Dwaikat N, Saffarini G. Exposure assessment of radon in the drinking water supplies: A descriptive study in Palestine. BMC Res Notes. 2012 Jan 13;5(1):29.
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