About Radon Gas
Radon is a chemically inert radioactive gas. Radon is an unstable atom
that will break down into elements referred to as radon decay products,
or radon progeny. Radon and RDPs give off alpha, beta, and gamma radiation.
Of these, alpha is the most damaging because of it's relatively high mass.
An alpha particle (two protons and two neutrons) flies out of the nucleus
of an atom at about 50% of the speed of light. It is the alpha discharge
that transforms
the atom from one element into the next element down
the
radioactive decay chain.
Uranium-238 decays down to Radium-226 and then into Radon-222. Radium is
found in small quantities in much of the rock and soil all across the
country. Radium's half-life is 1600 years, so if it is giving off
Radon today it will continue to do so for hundreds of years. Radon
gas has a half life of just 3.8 days. That is long enough for pressure
to force it up to the surface and into buildings on the surface.
Radon-222 decays into Polonium-218, which has a half life of only 3 minutes and acts as
a particle with a charge of static electricity. These particles float in
room air and attach to dust particles. Because of the static charge, when
we breath in the Po-218 particles attach to the moist and fragile lung
tissue to further decay by alpha emissions.
The alpha emissions on the
fragile lung tissue can cause lung cancer. Inside tracheal-bronchial passages and the alveoli
of the lungs an alpha strike can damage our DNA. That is why lung cancer
is the primary health issue with regard to Radon.