Safety evo
Life saving tips
Through this post, we will mention 5 facts about radon gas
As a small identification about this beast.
What is radon, where can we find it, some physical features,
health effects of exposure, radioactivity and some advices to prevent unsafe exposure.
You can go directly to the element by clicking it through the links below.
What is radon gas ?
It is one of the radioactive materials which are naturally existing (NORM) in the form of gas
It is an inert gas with atomic number (86)
Can be found in the atmosphere in small concentrations.
The chance of finding radon gas is increased inside any confined spaces or poor ventilated areas.
Although this gas can be found in traces, its health effects are significant and can result in cancer.
This is what we are about to discuss.
It is the classified as the second most cause for lung cancer.
Where can we find radon ?
A widely asked question : Is radon only in basements
and why can we find it inside basement and even homes ?
This is because Radon is a radioactive gas that is found in the earth layers
and penetrates the soil to reach the atmosphere.
And because of bad ventilation inside basements and houses which are locked for long time,
this gas can be accumulated inside and form a great hazard for those who inhale it.
Oil and gas industries also can suffer a lot from this radioactive gas.
As it can be found inside any confined spaces like tanks and production facilities in huge concentrations.
because these confined spaces are storing hydrocarbons for tens of years.
These hydrocarbon have big amounts of NORM (Naturally occurring radioactive material)
in which radon gas is existing in huge concentrations.
Physical Properties of radon
smell of radon and other physical properties
Unfortunately, radon gas is odorless and colorless,
meaning that it is not an easy task to detect radon gas.
is radon worse in summer or winter
Radon exists in higher concentrations in colder temperatures
As this can increase the pressure and produce more gas from the earth layers
Especially in sealed places where no good ventilation.
is radon gas heavier than air
Yes, when comparing radon gas density to air, it was found that it is 7.5 times heavier.
So, it can be found more in the lower layers of the space of room or basement.
Radon solubility
Radon is water soluble, can be dissolved in water
and comes as associated gas during drilling activities or water pumps flow.
Radioactivity of radon
While selecting 5 facts about radon gas, we cannot neglect its radioactivity.
As it is one of the most critical features of this gas
which increases the risk of exposure to it.
This gas can be found in huge concentrations naturally in three isotopes
Rn 219, Rn 220, Rn 222
Isotopes = The same atomic number but different mass number
Due to different neutron count inside the nucleus.
Radon 222 is the most dangerous isotope and it comes from the decay of both Radium 226 and Uranium 238
By the way, Uranium 238 is common in the ground layers and its decay produces many radioactive materials.
Many studies proved that Radon 222 forms the majority of radiation exposure for public.
Another significant hazard, is that radon can be found in high concentrations in the building materials.
As a decay product from Radium 226
Health effects of radon
According to many researches, even small concentrations of radon can cause severe health effects.
Also, high doses inhalation can increase the chance of developing lung cancer.
you can check this link from IAEA for more data.
IAEA = International Atomic Energy Agency
And is the half life time of Radon is 3.8 days,
It can accumulate inside the body causing dangerous health effects.
Which makes it the second leading cause of lung cancer.
Because the first reason is smoking and we will make a specific post about this destructive habit.
Radon contributes in about 21,000 lung cancer cases in the US only.
And the problem is that it has no warning symptoms, it accumulates in the lung for years
and then develop lung cancer.
Also radon can affect the pregnant women even causing miscarriage
This will be explained in other post along with the protection recommendations from Radon.
Hope these 5 facts about radon gas are beneficial and wait for more safety information.
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