Radon Basics

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What is radon? Home Radon test kits like this one are available at most home improvement stores. Radon (chemical symbol Rn) is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in soils, rock, and water throughout the U.S. It has numerous different isotopes, but radon-220, and -222 are the most common. Radon causes lung cancer, and is a threat to health because it tends to collect in homes, sometimes to very high concentrations. As a result, radon is the largest source of exposure to naturally occurring radiation. How does radon get into the environment? Radon-222 is the radioactive decay product of radium-226, which is found at low concentrations in almost all rock and soil. Radon is generated in rock and soil, and it creeps up to the outside air. Although outdoor concentrations of radon are typically low, about 0.4 picocuries per liter (pCi/l) of air, it can seep into buildings through foundation cracks or openings and build up to much higher concentrations indoors. The average indoor radon concentration is about 1.3 pCi/l of air. It is not uncommon, though, for indoor radon levels to be found in the range of 5 - 50 pCi/l, and they have been found as high as 2,000 pCi/l. The concentration of radon measured in a house depends on many factors, including the design of the house, local geology and soil conditions, and the weather. Radon's decay products are all metallic solids, and when radon decay occurs in air, the decay products can cling to aerosols and dust, which makes them available for inhalation into the lungs. Radon easily dissolves in water. In areas of the country that have high radium content in soils and rocks, local ground water may contain high concentrations of radon. For example, underlying rock such as granite, or phosphate rock, typically have increased uranium and radium, and therefore radon. While radon easily dissolves into water, it also easily escapes from water when exposed to the atmosphere, especially if it is stirred or agitated. Consequently, radon concentrations are very low in rivers and lakes, but could still be high in water pumped from the ground. Some natural springs, such as those at Hot Springs, Arkansas, contain radon, and were once considered healthful. How does radon change in the environment? Because radon is a chemically inert (unreactive) gas, it can move easily through rock and soil and arrive at the surface. The half-life of radon-222 is 3.8 days. As it undergoes radioactive decay, radon-222 releases alpha radiation and changes to polonium-218, a short-lived radioactive solid. After several more decay transformations, the series ends at lead-206, which is stable. Radon dissolves in water, and easily leaves water that is exposed to the atmosphere, especially if the water is agitated. Consequently, radon levels are very low in rivers and lakes, but water drawn from underground can have elevated radon concentrations. Radon that decays in water, leaves only solid decay products which will remain in the water as they decay to stable lead.

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