RADON INFO

Radon is the main source of ionizing radiation to which most of us are exposed. It is an invisible, odorless, tasteless radioactive gas that is produced by minerals like uranium and radium in the soil. Ionizing radiation can harm the cells that make up our body's tissues and organs. The type of radiation that radon produces is mainly an internal hazard - it produces damage when it gets into the body. The result of such damage is that radon causes lung cancer in humans. Radon is a known human lung carcinogen and is the largest source of radiation exposure and risk to the general public. Most inhaled radon is rapidly exhaled, but the inhaled decay products readily deposit in the lung, where they irradiate sensitive cells in the airways increasing the risk of lung cancer. The National Academy of Sciences' Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation VI Report (1998) concluded that radon causes between 15,000 and 22,000 lung cancer deaths each year in this country. The U.S. Surgeon General has..

Also known as: Radon

Primary location: Harrisburg United States