R
Radon was discovered by Friedrich Ernst
Dorn, a German chemist, in 1900 while studying radium's decay chain
Dorn first
named it nitron but, later it
became known as radon, which
is found to form radium. radon have been produced by radium it is
mainly for discompostion gases
gradually ratioactivity decay. 
Radon is pulled
into the house through a number of different
leaks
in the contact area
between the house and soil as a consequence of natural negative
pressure that
arises in the
house nomally forms in the summer
time.
"Radon has been
present in the earth's crust for billions of years. It is produced by
the natural
disintegration of radium, which is a lustrous, white radioactive
element produced
by the decay of uranium, and sometimes found in rock or
bedrock. Before
radon was discovered to be hazardous to human health, homes in
The American West
were sometimes built with materials contaminated by the radium from
uranium mines."
I WENT ON THE
INTERNET AND FOUND A survey showed that every part of A HUMAN
BODY CAN BE contaminated by radiation IF NOT HANDLED WITH THE RIGHT
EQUIPTMENT OF MATERIALS. This was shocking,
especially
BECAUSE YOU didn't work directly with
radiation.
I began to wonder
whether PEOPLE COULD
HAVE
been exposed to radiation at home. When it became
clear
that SOME homeS ARE, in fact, contaminated by
radon
gas, I WOULD RECOMEND the family MOVED to
a motel, and then rented another house for almost a year.
FOR EXSAMPLE THE
LIVINSTONS HOUSE I QUOTE "was
found to have 4,400 picocuries of radon per
liter (pCi/L)
of air in the cellar, 3,200 pCi/L in the living room, and about 1,800
pCi/L in each bedroom. (To put these numbers
into context, having
4 picocuries of radon per liter of your indoor air is roughly
equivalent to receiving 200 chest x-rays per
year.)" IF YOU
DO HAVE SIGNS OF RADON PLEASE CALL A PERFESONAL THE WILL DO THE
FOLLOWING:
sealed and
caulked cracks in the basement, and laid air pipes under the concrete
foundation of the
house, and on
top of the soil, to draw radon off.
"Consider the
danger of radon gas.
If
there is one environmental problem that is real, it
is radon...there
is
no hysteria over radon...because it's natural..."
Rush
Limbaugh, 1992
"Radon
is natural. Radon is not a
by-product of industrial or consumer activities. Because there is no
one to “blame,” it has been
difficult to inflame the passions of the public. Even outdoor air has
some amount
of radon in it."
Kent
Jeffreys
The amount of
radon that GROWS depends on the
amount of radon
being released by materials below the
building,
the kind of construction materials and vent
systems used in
the building, as well as the
temperature: a
heated building in a cold climate may
draw in more radon
than a building in a warm climate.
Since most radon enters the air from soil or rock, the
lower rooms in a
building are usually at more risk than the rooms higher up. It is also
possible for
one home to be
exposed to high levels of radon while the home directly next door is
not.
EVEN THOUGH
you can't see, smell or taste radon, whether in water or air. oustside
radon is
generally diluted
until it is not much of a threat. Inside, radon can accumulate to
unhealthy levels it
can cause desises of your lungs and inner sytems.
Some of the first research to measure radon in water was conducted by the Cambridge UniversityHealth hazards of radon highlighted
[Posted: Thu 18/11/2004]
By Deborah Condon
People who are exposed to extreme concentrations of radon throughout their lives, are up to 70% more likely to develop lung cancer, the Radiological Protection Society of Ireland (RPII) has warned.
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas present in all rocks and soils. When it surfaces in the open air, it is quickly diluted to harmless concentrations. However when it enters an enclosed space, such as a house, it can sometimes build up to high concentrations, which can prove harmful.
Publishing its 2003 Annual Report, the RPII highlighted the case of a house in Castleisland in Kerry. In July 2003, the house was found to have the highest concentration of radon ever measured in Ireland and one of the highest in Europe, at 250 times the recommended level.
As reported in irishhealth.com earlier this year, it subsequently transpired that the person who lived there had lung cancer and that his wife had died at a young age a number of years previously, also as a result of the disease.
According to the RPII, while it is not possible to draw specific conclusions in a single case, 'the risk of contracting lung cancer associated with a lifetime exposure at such extreme concentrations is in the order of 30 - 70%'.
"Radon is a serious risk to health. It is the second highest cause of lung cancer after smoking and accounts for as many as 150 - 200 deaths in Ireland every year", said RPII chief executive, Dr Ann McGarry at the launch of the report.
Householders, particularly those in high radon areas, need to measure for radon and if they find high levels, 'they need to take steps to remedy the problem', Dr McGarry explained.
Testing a house for radon is simple and inexpensive. It can be carried out by placing two small radon sensitive detectors in the house for three months. These are supplied by the RPII and after three months, they are returned to the institute’s testing laboratory for processing. The procedure is carried out by post so there is no need for someone to visit your home.
For more information, click on...