Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days. Radon is one of the densest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions and is considered a health hazard due to its radioactivity. Intense radioactivity also hindered chemical studies of radon and only a few compounds are known.
Extracted from www.wikipedia.org.
Uranium – The Deadliest Metal
– A detailed paper on uranium, its radioactive products, mining, and radiation risks to people issued by the Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility (1992). The health risks even at the low radon levels in homes.
Radon Month
– Press release from the United States Environmental Protection Agency introducing National Radon Action Month.
(December 09, 2008)
Center for Environmental Research and Technology
– Provides certification and continuing education classes that meet National Radon Proficiency Program. Located in Colorado Springs, CO.
Direct link: Center for Environmental Research and Technology
EPA Publications on Indoor Radon
– Complete publications list, descriptions and links. Informative EPA Guides for citizens, consumers, home buyers and sellers, physicians, and tenants. Radon prevention in construction, schools. Measurement protocols. Links to regional Radon Offices.
Direct link: EPA Publications on Indoor Radon
Eastern Regional Radon Training Center
– Provides training in the health risks posed by radon gas and the methods of radon measurement and mitigation in residential, institutional, and commercial environments.
Direct link: Eastern Regional Radon Training Center
Gemmill Laboratories
– Pennsylvania company providing radon certification training, radon measurement and mitigation courses and radon instrument calibration courses. Also offers granite radiation testing services.
Direct link: Gemmill Laboratories
How Stuff Works: Radon
– Informative article about how radon forms and why it is so dangerous. Comparison of radon test devices. Useful links.
Direct link: How Stuff Works: Radon
Indoor Air – Radon
– US EPA information resources and links about this gas, its health effects, and its control.
Direct link: Indoor Air – Radon
Integrated Environmental Management
– Informative primer on radon, its progeny, measurement and risks. Extensive information on radioactivity and radiation, exposure and risks.
Direct link: Integrated Environmental Management
Natural Radioactivity
– The Radiation Information Network (Idaho State U). Primordial, cosmogenic and man-made radiation sources. Radon accounts for 56% of the total effective dose to people in the US. Radioactivity in soil, building materials, and human bodies.
Direct link: Natural Radioactivity
Radon Gas Kills
– Educational site about radon, an invisible and odorless gas that increases your risk of developing lung cancer.
Direct link: Radon Gas Kills
Radon Guide: Introduction to Radon
– Comprehensive guide to radon in the home provided by a firm of consultants in Northern Ireland.
Direct link: Radon Guide: Introduction to Radon
Radon Localizer
– Aims to encourage radon awareness, introduces a new instrument for the localization of radon leakage points and provides advice on the gas.
Direct link: Radon Localizer
Radon Mitigation and Gas Reduction
– Blog about radon gas with information about how to conduct testing and mitigation.
Direct link: Radon Mitigation and Gas Reduction
Radon Progeny
– A chart listing all of the decay products of radon gas in their order of appearance. Atomic mass, atomic numbers and the energy in MeV of the released alpha radiation.
Direct link: Radon Progeny
Radon Project of Columbia University and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
– Uses information about location of home, and house construction, to suggest whether or not to test for radon.
Direct link: Radon Project of Columbia University and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.
Radon: The Invisible Intruder
– Report from the Office of New York State Attorney General on the dangers of radon, testing, tips on reducing radon and selecting a contractor.
[PDF]
Residential Radon and Lung Cancer Study
– The latest and most substantial study ever on the link between radon and lung cancer (May, 2000) proves that residential radon causes cancer even at the low levels in homes. At the EPA’s 4 pCi/L action limit, the lung cancer risk to women increases by 50%.
Direct link: Residential Radon and Lung Cancer Study
Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water
– The National Academy of Sciences report (1999) compares the risks of radon in air and water. Full report can be read online, or purchased.
Direct link: Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water
USGS Radon Information
– U.S. Geological Survey site on radon in earth, air and water. Site resources include educational information on radon, and multiple maps on the geologic and geographic occurrence of radon in the United States.
Direct link: USGS Radon Information