Youth Ambassador News
Public Health Student Leaders	Issue 1, January 2001
Radon-----What Is Radon?
Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas. Something is radioactive if it emits particles or rays when it decays. Radon comes from the natural decay of uranium -– an element that is found in nearly all soils, and also in rock and water. Radon typically moves up through the ground to the air above, to the air you breathe.” (Environmental Protection Agency publication:  A Guide to Radon.)  The path radon takes goes like this: Uranium found in minerals such as granite, shale, phosphate, and pitchblende yields radium, which releases the radon gas. It percolates through the rock and soil below a building’s foundation and invades your air space through cracks, gaps, pipes, walls, sumps, or any other openings. The radioactivity from this gas is measured in picocuries. (This term is named for Marie Curie, the physicist, who pioneered research on radioactive elements.) Any reading of 4 picocuries of radon per liter of air (4pCi/L) or above should be corrected. It is possible to lower indoor air levels of radon and every person can help to do this by first testing their air. Indoor radon testing kits will help you do this.  Radon contained in the air you breathe can cause lung cancer. The radioactive particles radon emits when it decays can get trapped in your lungs. As they break down further inside the lungs, these particles release small bursts of energy. These bursts of energy can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer. (From website: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/radon) No matter what your age is, you can take control and improve your environment. Your awareness of radon, as one of the indoor air contaminants, is a good start.