radon

Examples of radon in the following topics:

• Indoor Pollution: Radon

  • One serious source of indoor air pollution is radon.
  • Radon sources are found throughout the United States, in houses, schools, and businesses that have been constructed on top of radon-rich soil.
  • Radon and its daughters are the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.
  • Many states require radon testing before selling a house.
  • Recall the process by which radon is produced, why it is dangerous to humans, and how to prevent radon poisoning

• Natural Radioactivity

  • The biggest source of natural background radiation is airborne radon, a radioactive gas that emanates from the ground.
  • Radon and its isotopes, parent radionuclides, and decay products all contribute to an average inhaled dose of 1.26 mSv/a.
  • Radon seeps out of these ores into the atmosphere or into ground water; it can also infiltrate into buildings.
  • Some of these decay products, like radium and radon, are intensely radioactive but occur in low concentrations.
  • Examples of these are radium-226 (a decay product of uranium-238) and radon-222 (a decay product of radium-226).

• Radioactive Decay Series: Introduction

  • Not only are unstable radium isotopes significant radioactivity emitters, but as the next stage in the decay chain they also generate radon, a heavy, inert, naturally occurring radioactive gas.
  • Rock containing thorium and/or uranium (such as some granites) emits radon gas, which can accumulate in enclosed places such as basements or underground mines.
  • Radon exposure is considered the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

• Place

  • Equally as unsettling, it's not uncommon for indoor pollution levels to be two to five times higher (occasionally 100 times higher) than outdoor levels due to dust and fumes from interior building materials, cleaning solutions, production processes, central heating and cooling systems, radon gas, pesticides, paint, glue, carpets, and so on.

• Air Pollution

  • Air pollution is also a problem indoors, where poor health has been linked to pollutants like radon, VOCs, lead paint, combustion particulates, carbon monoxide, and asbestos.

• The Noble Gases (Group 18)

  • The six noble gases that occur naturally are helium (He), Neon (Ne), Argon (Ar), Krypton (Kr), Xenon (Xe), and Radon (Rn).
  • Because of this, many compounds of the gases xenon, krypton, and radon can, in fact, be formed.
  • Of the six noble gases, only krypton, xenon, and radon have the ability to form stable compounds.

• Lung Cancer

  • Nonsmokers account for 15% of lung cancer cases, and these cases are often attributed to a combination of genetic factors, radon gas, asbestos, and air pollution including secondhand smoke.
  • Cigarette smoke contains over 60 known carcinogens, including radioisotopes from the radon decay sequence, nitrosamine, and benzopyrene.

• Balancing Nuclear Equations

  • For the atomic number, we take 84 for polonium, add 4 (two times two) for helium, then subtract two (two times -1) for two electrons lost through beta emission, to give 86; this is the atomic number for radon (Rn).

• Electron Configurations of Atoms

  • This group of inert (or noble) gases also includes krypton (Kr: 4s2, 4p6), xenon (Xe: 5s2, 5p6) and radon (Rn: 6s2, 6p6).

• Substances that Exist as Gases

  • The group VIII elements (helium (He), neon (Ne), argon (Ar), krypton (Kr), xenon (Xe) and radon (Rn)) exist as monatomic gases at standard temperature and pressure (STP) and are called the noble gases.