Consumer's Guide to Radon Reduction | Radon | US EPA
Radon
"Radon is a colorless, odorless gas, a radioactive byproduct of radium.
It is part of the natural radioactive decay series starting with uranium-238.
It is radioactive with a half-life of 3.8 days, decaying by the emission of
alpha particles to polonium, bismuth, and lead in successive steps."
One has to wonder about mail-in test kits, when the half-life is so short,
(and Snail Mail is so slow).
"Where does Radon come from?
Radon is a naturally occurring radioisotope. Radioactivity is, and always has been a part of the earth. Radon-222 is one of the elements in the long radioactive decay chain from uranium-238, and the less common isotope radon-220 is part of the decay series from thorium-232. The elements above radon in the chain are relatively long-lived and of less concern for radiation exposure, but radon and the elements immediately following it in the chain are short-lived and therefore more hazardous.
Whereas the predecessors to radon in the chain are solids and will not migrate far from their place in the soil, radon is a gas and can migrate through a few feet of earth. Cohen says that on the average, about six atoms of radon emerge form every square inch of soil every second. Radon in outside air is diluted rapidly, but if it enters through a basement floor and is trapped in a tight house, it can reach high concentrations.
From Lutgens & Tarbuck there is an estimate that the top 6 feet of soil from an average acre of land contains about 50 lbs of uranium. This corresponds to about 2 to 3 parts per million. "
Wow, that seems like a lot of uranium..
Easy to use radon detectors aren't cheap, but they aren't too expensive either.
Radon Monitor and Alarm | Safety Siren Radon Gas Detector | Safe Home Products, Inc.
Amazon.com: Safety Siren Pro Series HS71512 3 Radon Gas Detector: Home Improvement
Mine is the Pro-2 version. It rounds up the decimal place.
manual:
http://www.safehomeproducts.com/shp2...als/radon3.pdf