Radon
Radon is a radioactive gas that originates from soil, landfill, or rocks under or around homes or buildings. Exposure to elevated concentrations of radon can cause lung cancer. Radioactive decay is a natural, spontaneous process in which an atom of one element decays or breaks down to form another element by losing atomic particles (protons, neutrons, or electrons). When solid radium decays to form radon gas, it loses two protons and two neutrons. Thses two protons and two neutrons are called an alpha particle, which is a type of radiation the elements that produce radiation are coalled radioaacitve. Radon itself is radioactive because it also decays, losing an alpha particle and forming the element polonium.
Sources of Radon
Other soil gases to consider are from:
- Pesticides
- Natural gas
- Leakage from underground fuel and septic tanks
- Contaminants from previous site uses (e.g. landfills)
Source: U.S. Geological Survey - The Geology of Radon