The history and the source of radon gas examined
(These are parts II and Part III of the series from Roy on radon gas)
Radon is a significant contributor to environmental radioactivity. Radon is a radioactive gas which leaks out of rocks and soil.
Radon is a natural material that can present serious health hazards to the human body if we do not take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from their harmful affects.
Radon is an invisible, odourless, tasteless, radioactive gas that is produced naturally within the earth. Problems start when it collects inside buildings. The gas soon decays and produces unhealthy properties which if inhaled over a long period, can produce enough harmful radiation to cause lung cancer.
Radon gas is dangerous even in small quantities because it breaks down into poisonous particles.Radioactivity is dangerous to us because the particle and rays can penetrate our bodies and damage vital cells.
Lower levels of radiation can cause sickness or death from leukemias and other cancers.
A small amount of radiation can help to cure someone while too much will cause that person harm for this reason, we have to be able to measure it accurately.
Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers who live in house with high levels of the gas. If radon accumulates in underground caverns it can contaminate drinking water supplies.
• How can the gas harm you?
Radon releases alpha particles that kills body cells and also cause cancer.
• Radon Daughters Radon gas is not a threat to human life most of the time. The gas usually escapes into the open air where it is dispersed.
The real problem is that when radon decays it produces tiny, solid particle of radioactive polonium which can build up to high levels in an enclosed space.
These particles adhere to dust in the air we breathe and can then lodge in our lungs although polonium particles, the so-called "radon daughters," decay to harmless levels. After only a few hours, the alpha particles that they emit can expose a small area of lung tissue to a large amount of harmful radiation.
• Where does radon come from? Radon comes from the natural radioactive decay of radium and uranium found in the soil beneath the house. The amount of radon in the soil depends on soil chemistry, which varies from one house to the next. Next week: the Building Code
Neil Roy is vice chairman of the board for the Saskatchewan Housing Authority in Maple Creek, Sask. He is a certified mould and air quality inspector.