...Radon is an odorless, colorless, radioactive gas that poses a serious public health concern. It is also the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General’s office estimate radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths each year. Lung Cancer caused by Radon is the second leading cause of Lung Cancer Deaths in the United States, this is second to Lung cancer caused from smoking, and third is Lung Cancer caused from exposure to 2nd hand smoke. Since it is difficult to identify any immediate symptoms related to radon exposure, it may take years before health problems appear. So, whether in the workplace, in homes, or in schools, understanding radon is important. Radon is a gas that occurs naturally from the breakdown or the radioactive decay of uranium. Rocks, soil, and in some cases groundwater can all contain uranium. Because radon comes from so many sources, people are easily exposed to it. Exposure can occur through breathing outdoor air, in buildings and homes, and by eating or drinking. Radon gas can seep through cracks in buildings and expose people to the radiation, which can lead to severe health problems. The EPA lists the following ways that radon can get into buildings: cracks in solid floors and walls, construction joints, gaps in suspended floors, gaps around service pipes, cavities inside walls, the water supply. Since 1988, the EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General...
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...Radon Friedrich Ernst Dorn is the scientist who announced the discovery of radon, a noble gas. Frederick is a German chemist from the 19th century that studied radiums decay chain. There were a lot of names for radon before 1923 when it officially became radon, like niton a Latin word which means shining, another name for it was theorem emanation because the gas was discovered in theorem . Radon is a weak yet deadly gas that should never be underestimated. Radon was discovered in 1900 by a scientist named Friedrich Ernst Dorn but it was not him that did the experiments. It was Robert B. Owens and Ernest Rutherford who did them at McGill University in Montreal. What they were originally doing was measuring the radiation levels of theorem oxide. But they noticed that it contained a radioactive gas that could be radioactive on its own for several minutes. They first called it theorem emanation then the name changed to radon in 1923. Radon till this day is still collected through the decay chain of radium. Radon is a very radioactive gas it is also colorless and odorless at room temperature. A common form of radons decay is alpha decay, alpha decay is not known to be a big radiological hazard since alpha particles that are produced from the process can be easily stopped. But although radon seems almost harmless it is still a gas and can be easily inhaled into living tissue where the body is exposed directly to the radiation. Even though Radon is radioactive its half-life is...
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...Know About Radon Exposure WHAT IS RADON? Radon is a type of gas that releases radiation. Radon is present naturally outdoors at very low levels. Elements in the soil and rocks release radon gas as they break down. Sometimes water contains radon gas. You cannot see, taste, or smell radon. Radon gas can seep into your home through cracks in the foundation, walls, or floor. Levels are highest in the basement or on the first floor. Homes that are very tightly insulated usually have higher levels of radon because the gas cannot escape the house. People who work underground in areas without good air ventilation, such as mines, are exposed to high levels of radon gas. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO PREVENT RADON EXPOSURE? When you breathe in radon, the particles enter your...
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...[pic] Homeowners Radon Alert [pic] All homeowners need to be aware of the very real risks of home radon exposure. This bulletin will tell you what you need to know about radon exposure and how to protect your home. What is radon and what are the dangers of radon exposure in a home? Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is created by the natural breakdown of uranium in the earth. The accumulation of radon in a home can present a very real health hazard. Prolonged inhalation of radon gas leads to an increased risk of developing lung cancer. How does radon get into a home? Radon is present in the soil and air in varying quantities almost everywhere in the world. Radon levels vary from home to home, depending on the structure of the house and the surrounding soil. The most common entry paths for radon are through small spaces, such as cracks in concrete, floor drains, sump pump openings, wall/floor joints in basements, and the pores in hollow brick walls. Radon generally concentrates most in the areas of a home closest to the ground and decreases in upper stories. Radon can also seep into underground water and remain trapped there. Homes where water is supplied through a ground water supply source, such as a well, have a greater potential for radon problems. Homes with water supplied by a municipal water supply have fewer problems with radon. How is radon detected in a home? Testing is the only...
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...To what extent does radon gas pose a risk to the health of occupiers of domestic dwellings in the UK? This essay discusses the extent of radon gas poses a risk to health of occupiers of domestic dwellings in the United Kingdom (UK) classed as Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The methodology of this is to look at Radon and the health impacts, also the geographical distributions and the concentrations in enclosed spaces such as domestic dwellings. Additionally the risks will be discussed with regard to minimise the effects to public health. Radon is a radioactive gas that derives from uranium -238, which is found in rocks and soil and is a natural radioactive decay chain to radon -222, at its most stable form. Radon has a half-life of 3.8 days and the decay is of the alpha decay and radon is the alpha particle suggested by( Brenner ,1989).Radon is undetectable to humans through their senses. Radon has also been present geologically on the earth for as long as the earth has been formed and was discovered by a German chemist Friedrich Ernst Dorn in the 1900’s, and is found with the noble gases on the periodic table. Because radon is a gas it can seep through rocks and it is suggested by (Scivyer, 2004) granite areas tend to disperse more radon in to the air and homes. Radon progeny get in to the Epithelial lining of the lungs by respiration via air containing radon and irradiate tissue. Radon is an alpha particle which causes further damage to the lungs resulting...
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...More and more people are taking radon gas testing seriously these days. This is not unconnected to the agony it has caused many people. The present awareness is borne out of the fact that so many health risks are involved. However, some people do not yet see the reason for radon gas testing. If you are one of the people who are not taking radon health hazard seriously, it is time to have a change of attitude. You should not take chances when it comes to radon gas. This is because it can cause lung cancer. How is that so, and what can you do to prevent effect of radon gas? Some people may overlook radon health hazards. Perhaps, you do not think it worth all the worries. If so, examining the health risks of radon may help you to see the need to carry out radon gas testing for your home. Let us examine the risk or a health problem that could be caused by radon gas. Radon and lung cancer In the USA alone, thousands of people die every year of lung cancer. Radon, along...
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...------------------------------------------------- Associate Level Material Indoor Air Pollution Resources: Chapter 19 of Environmental Science and the EPA web site, “Introduction to Air Quality”. Retrieved from, http://www.epa.gov/iaq/ia-intro.html Complete the following chart: Pollutant | Sources | Health effects | Is Your Risk Level Acceptable? | Solutions | Sustainable Replacements, when appropriate | Radon | Natural decay of uranium found in almost all soils. Radon leaks into homes through walls, floors, and water. | Lung cancer | unknown | Seal cracks and build vent system. Increase ventilation.Ventilate crawl space. | Not applicable | Mold | Spores are in the air both indoors and outdoors and adhere to any damp surface. | Asthma and other respiratory illnesses Allergic reactions | yes | Control the moisture by repairing the leak or source of water problem. Prevent condensation by insulating the area. | Not applicable | Formaldehyde | Pressed wood products hardwood, plywood, wall paneling, particleboard, and fiberboard and furniture made with these pressed wood products. | Eyes, nose and throat irritations , nasal cancer and lung cancer. | yes | Use wood products that have lower or zero rates of this pollutant as an ingredient.Keep humidity in house low. | Not applicable | Lead | Paint, dust, soil, and drinking water. | Convulsions, coma or death with high levels.Blood cell damage, central nervous system, and kidneys with low levels. | yes...
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...several other clubs in your city. However, they have a reputation for being insensitive to residents who live nearby in the community. You are to respond to the following: * Discuss the public health effects that may result in a community exposed to noise produced by a nightclub. * Describe the restrictions you would recommend to the city for the new nightclub to meet before granting an approval. Please be sure to support your position with evidence from the literature. Radon Question 2: Exposure to radon gas may cause health hazards. You have friends who are about to purchase a new home in an area where it is perceived that radon gas levels may be high. Please respond to the following: 1. Describe the type of radiation that is emitted by radon gas and how it poses a health risk. 2. Identify potential human health risks associated with living in a home where radon gas levels may be high 3. Describe corrective/remediation measures that can be taken to reduce radon levels in a home. Please be sure to support your position with evidence from the literature. Assignment Expectations Use information from the modular background readings as well as any good quality resource you can find. LENGTH: 2-3 pages typed and double-spaced, in addition to a cover page. The following items will be assessed in particular: Precision: Each of the questions of the assignment is specifically addressed in the paper. The paper discusses the public health effects that...
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...Angela Li Physics 171 Problem Set 6 Leaking landfill 2014/10/4 Dear citizens: I’m really sorry about the leaking landfill in our city. Many of you may concern the impact of releasing radioactive radon gas on your health but I’m here to assure you that you are not in too much danger and do not have to over worry. First, let’s consider the short-term effects of radiation damage to cells. If a whole body exposes to less than 100 rem (1 Sievert) dose of radiation, people will experience no short-term radiation illness. You will expose to approximately an extra 1 milli-Sievert whole-body dose per year due to the leak. The dose is far below 1 Sievert. So you will not be sick because the cells in your body can repair the tiny damage naturally. Then, I’ll talk about extra risks of getting cancers. According to the Linear Hypothesis which predicts cancer effects at very low levels, each of you will get 4*10^-5 extra risk of getting cancers each day, which is only 0.04 extra cancers. When we expand the time range into a year, extra 14 to 15 people in 1000 of you will get cancers due to radiation. Much fewer people than 14 will actually die from cancer. Even without radiation, about 40% people will get cancer and about 20% of them will die of it. So even if there is no releasing radiation, about 400 people among you will get cancer sometime in your lives and 200 people will die for it. So the danger of getting cancer from radiation is very minimal compared to the natural rate...
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...Radium City was home to a company known for aiding in the horrible death of several women. The company hired women to paint numbers on watch dials with a paint mixed with radium. These girls were unaware of the dangers they would encounter each day while working for this company. This essay will contain information explaining what radium is and how it can be harmful to the human body. Also leading to the discussion of how the Radium Girls sustained radiation exposure and how they could have reduced the amount of radiation exposure received while painting watch dials. Radium is a known isotope from the periodic table of elements that naturally occur throughout the world. (ATSDR,2015). Radium is highly radioactive and eventually will lead to harmful effects to the human body. The determining factors that aid in determining the effects that occur within the human body depend on the amount of exposure, how the exposure was received and the type of radiation emitted. The decay process consists the release of alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. (ATSDR, 2015). Alpha particles are unable to pass through the skin, beta particles can pass through the skin but not the entire body. Whereas gamma radiation will pass straight through the body. (ATSDR, 2015). Radium acts as if were calcium, therefore, it localizes in the bone. (Morgan, 1991). Because of the localization in the bone, it has a high probability to cause bone cancer. Depending on the source of exposure it can cause tooth decay...
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...Radon a chemical element that is a known to pollute the air and make it difficult to breathe. Radon is the only element that is known to cause cancer (cancer.gov). Radon is a gas that isn’t easily to be found since it’s an invisible gas, meaning there is no chance it can be shown. There are radon dedication kits that can be found and done by the person to determine if there is radon in the house (cancer.org). Not only do their kits help with the determining if there is Radon, the person can take immediate action is calling a professional who will use his expertise to find the gas and get rid of it. According to the EPA, one out of fifteen houses tend to have Radon and need special attention from a professional (lung.org). This fact might seem scary as Radon might be a bad guy, but the point is that the Radon gas is all around. Who knows the next person sitting next to you might have inhaled the gas and might even have a possibility of lung cancer. What a small this world is...
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...The radon is a gas that cannot be seen, smelled, and tasted. Actions like taking showers, doing laundry or running a dishwasher can release the radon into the air inside home. Breathing the air that is associated with high levels of radon over a lifetime (daily bases) increases a person‘s risk of getting lung cancer. Ingestion of radon (Ingestion Risk) in water is also thought to pose a direct health risk by exposing radiation to the sensitive cells in the gastrointestinal tract and in other organs once it is absorbed into the bloodstream. Therefore, radon in drinking water could potentially produce harmful health effects in addition to Inhalation Risk such as lung...
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...Smoking is, by far, the greatest risk factor in developing Lung cancer. The question is: Why is it that healthy non-smokers get lung cancer? According to Cancer.org at least 16,000 to 24,000 Americans who have never smoked are diagnosed with lung cancer every year. People who claim they have never smoked, in reality actually have. They don’t smoke actively with a cigarette pressed against their lips. However, they are passive smokers, which means they breathe in the smoke that is exhaled by others. For example, a person dies from the tragic death of cancer that has never smoked but works in an environment with smoke-filled bars and restaurants. Another great example, a child who has been exposed to smoking for years later is diagnosed...
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...Atmospheric Issues March 9, 2014 Environmental Science Shawnica Pollard Abstract The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast an atmospheric issue, climate change, to an indoor air pollutant, radon. The paper will include discussions about the similarities as well as the differences between climate change and radon, the causes and effects of both, efforts to mitigate these issues, and current events that relate to both climate change and radon. Atmospheric Issues Acid rain, an atmospheric issue, and radon, an indoor air pollutant are both issues that have a damaging effect on the environment and cause health problems for people in general. The population is becoming increasingly concerned about these issues and have begun to take steps to improve the quality of the atmosphere as well as combating indoor air pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “Acid rain is a serious environmental problem that affects large parts of the United States and Canada. Acid rain is particularly damaging to lakes, streams, and forests and the plants and animals that live in these ecosystems.” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a mixture of wet and dry deposited material from the atmosphere containing “higher than normal amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids” (EPA, 2012). Acid rain is a result of both natural sources, such as those found in volcanoes and decaying vegetation, and man-made sources, primarily emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These man-made...
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...Part IV. As you can see, that majority of these addresses are located in areas that have soils with high Radon content. Based upon the distribution of roads throughout the region, it seems that the addresses and cluster of roads coincide with each other to suggest that these are highly populated areas. This means more pollution from cars and therefore the soils absorb the toxins from the automobile emissions in the areas with most roadways. It even seems as though those areas where Radon levels in soils are high are the same areas that have roadways that are traveled more frequently. This map is the results of the Try This Assignment. It shows the type of rock throughout the region, and also shows roadways as well as the merged geocoded addresses from both address files in this lesson four. From this map it is difficult to distinguish between the first set of address data and the addition al six addresses of the second data set of addresses. This better shows the delineation between the two sets of address data that were merged together. Those addresses, six in total, that have a green circle around the blue target are the New Addresses. It appears that the six new addresses share the same general characteristics as the other addresses that are geocoded. They all are located in areas with a high volume of significantly traveled roads ways and those areas contain high Radon levels in the soil which are generally on carbonated rock, which could be a contributing factor into...
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