August 1, 2007
Radon is Scary
I was doing some research on Radon.
Yea, Radon. The EPA has some good information on it, that scares the @#$$@# out of you.
Radon is a cancer-causing natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell or taste. Its presence in your home can pose a danger to your family's health. Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America and claims about 20,000 lives annually. EPA has launched a new series of television, radio and print public service announcements encouraging people to test and fix their homes for radon. This is a good time to focus on testing and on fixing homes with a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more.
In fact, they have this very easy to understand A Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting Yourself and Your Family from Radon.
How does Radon get into a house?
- Cracks in solid floors
- Construction joints
- Cracks in walls
- Gaps in suspended floors
- Gaps around service pipes
- Cavities inside walls
- The water supply
Do I have radon in my house? No. Just doing some research on it.
On a more scientific level, I believe, but can not vouch for it, Wikipedia has some useful information on that front. "Radon (IPA: /ˈreɪdɒn/) is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Rn and atomic number 86."
Cool stuff, I guess.

