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Radon is a major cause of cancer; it is estimated to contribute to ~2% of all cancer related deaths in Europe. [1] Radium, like radon, is radioactive and is found in small quantities in nature and is hazardous to life if radiation exceeds 20-50 mSv/year. Radium is a decay product of uranium and thorium. [2]
Its most stable isotope, radon-222, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Due to its high radioactivity, it has been less well studied by chemists, but a few compounds are known. Radon-222 is formed as part of the uranium series i.e. the normal radioactive decay chain of uranium-238 that terminates in lead-206.
In the US, the problem of indoor radon received widespread publicity and intensified investigation after a widely publicized incident in 1984. During routine monitoring at a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant, a worker was found to be contaminated with radioactivity. A high concentration of radon in his home was subsequently identified as ...
Radon, a byproduct of naturally decaying uranium, is estimated to cause thousands of deaths each year nationwide. Here's how to protect yourself.
Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) and technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM) consist of materials, usually industrial wastes or by-products enriched with radioactive elements found in the environment, such as uranium, thorium and potassium and any of their decay products, such as radium and radon. [1]
Radon experiments at the Radium Institute in Paris, 1924. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive noble gas discovered in 1900 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn (1848-1916) and is considered carcinogenic. Radon is increasingly found in areas with high levels of uranium and thorium in the soil. These are mainly areas with high granitic rock deposits.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, naturally occurring, radioactive noble gas that is formed from the decay of radium. It is considered to be a health hazard. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings, especially in confined areas such as the basement and it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking.
Due to their short half-lives of 5 and 8 days they have now decayed, leaving the more long-lived 137 Cs (with a half-life of 30.07 years) and 90 Sr (with a half-life of 28.78 years) as main dangers. In March 2011, an earthquake and tsunami caused damage that led to explosions and partial meltdowns at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant in Japan