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It is possible to test for radon in buildings, and to use techniques such as sub-slab depressurization for mitigation. [9] [10] Epidemiological studies have shown a clear association between breathing high concentrations of radon and incidence of lung cancer. [11] Radon is a contaminant that affects indoor air quality worldwide.
Radon mitigation is any process used to reduce radon gas concentrations in the breathing zones of occupied buildings, or radon from water supplies. Radon is a significant contributor to environmental radioactivity and indoor air pollution. Exposure to radon can cause serious health problems such as lung cancer. [1]
Radon is responsible for the majority of 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.
Radon is an invisible, radioactive atomic gas that results from the radioactive decay of radium, which may be found in rock formations beneath buildings or in certain building materials themselves. Radon is probably the most pervasive serious hazard for indoor air in the United States and Europe.
Residues from the oil and gas industry often contain radium and its daughters. The sulfate scale from an oil well can be very radium rich. The water inside an oil field is often very rich in strontium, barium and radium, while seawater is very rich in sulfate: so if water from an oil well is discharged into the sea or mixed with seawater, the radium is likely to be brought out of solution by ...
Open-air stores also release radon at a level potentially hazardous to workers. [3] Radon is a noble gas that is heavier than air and thus tends to accumulate in poorly ventilated underground spaces like mines or cellars. Naturally occurring radon is considered the second most common cause of lung cancer after smoking. [15]
A 1993 study found that approximately 74% of homes built on the Rincon Formation, or on alluvium or soils derived from the Rincon Formation, showed interior radon concentrations in excess of 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L), the U.S. EPA action level, and 26% had measured levels of radon over 20 pCi/L. [18] According to the U.S. EPA, non-smokers ...
Radium and radon are in the environment because they are decay products of uranium and thorium. The radon (222 Rn) released into the air decays to 210 Pb and other radioisotopes, and the levels of 210 Pb can be measured. The rate of deposition of this radioisotope is dependent on the weather.