Radon is a radioactive gas that can neither be seen or smelled. It is found in the ground and ground water, formed from the decay of uranium. The radiation given off is the same as other sources such as plutonium. Most of the gas produced goes through the ground to the air above, some stays in the ground water below.
Over time radon causes lung cancer and much like exposure to cigarette smoke, the cancer develops faster or slower in some people. There are no short term health effects to watch out for. Radon caused lung cancer causes $2 billion annually to the US in health care costs. At an average of 14,400 deaths per year. Children are more sensitive to radon because of their higher respiratory rate.
The national average of high levels of radon in homes is 1 in 15, in 7 states the average level of houses with high exposure is 1 in 4. Minnesota is one of these states. High levels are over 4pCi/l which is 35 times as much radiation as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has measured at the outer radius of a radioactive waste site.
Radon coming up through the ground can penetrate most building materials including concrete block, sheetrock and insulation. It can also seep into ground water and be ingested, although exposure risks aren’t as high as when it is breathed in. The Surgeon General recommends testing your home as this is the only way to effectively calculate your homes radon level. It takes years of exposure for symptoms to occur. High levels have been recorded in every state and an estimated 8 million homes have above normal saturation.
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