Is Our Home Safe From Cancer-Causing Radon?
Radon is a natural radioactive element that is found in the soil and rocky areas of the world
. It is in higher concentrations at certain places. Radon has become such a serious problem that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has given special attention to it. It is normally found in high concentrations at coal mines. However, it has also been found in high concentrations underneath homes, in basements, and rooms of houses, appearing in some rooms and not in others. Not only is radon found in the soil, in the atmosphere, and on top of mountains, but it has been found in large quantities in drinking water from wells and springs and is also found in hot springs. Believe it or not, Tap water is less likely to contain radon than spring-bottled water. So, we maybe ditching the Tap water for some radon infected spring-bottled water instead. In today's world, picking the most appropriate poison when it comes to drinking water is the best remedy for survival because Tap water too has its short comings with high levels of contaminants. The fact that radon is found in some spring water made it possible to be present in bottled-water if bottled-water is not tested for it. Radon causes lung cancer when human is exposed to large quantities of it over time. It is a tasteless, odorless, colorless, and radioactive gas. In most cases, it is in such small quantities that it is very difficult to detect. However, when in large quantities as in mines and in rooms of houses and basements, it can be deadly. This radioactive element is capable of setting off nuclear alarms. It too gives off nuclear radiation when decaying into smaller particles. It is formed by the natural decay of radium. Radon is used as a radiation source in radiotherapy and to produce neutrons for research. It is number 86 (Rn 86) on the periodic table and is the last of the noble gases. The name came from the Latin word 'nitens,' which means shining. Radon causes cancer of the lung by clinging to lung tissues. Cigarette smokers are ten times more likely to develop cancer from radon exposure. Radon attaches to smoke very easily, thus putting cigarette smokers at increase risk of lung cancer. After radon is attached to lung tissues, it destroys cells by interrupting DNA synthesis. In doing so, the reactive element causes genetic mutations in cells. It is this genetic mutation that places an individual at an increase risk for developing cancer. Cancers are cause by cells whose genetic information is corrupt, which cause the cells to multiply uncontrollably-the characteristics of all cancer cells. Coal Miners in the past were the main people affected with radon ionization (mountain sickness). It was given the name mountain sickness by researchers in the 1950s when they discovered that miners were the ones afflicted with lung cancers. This is one of the reasons why mining companies began to build vents and windows in mines. Radon-86 is found on the periodic table as a noble gas and is more stable than radon-222. However, it is still carcinogenic. Radon-222 is therefore one of the radioactive particles produced during the natural decay of radium. This form of radon is also extremely carcinogenic to humans, (International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (VOL. 43; 1988; p. 173)). Radon affects human by its decaying products through inhalation. Another of its decaying products, are polonium-218 and 214, both of which are very harmful to humans. The World Health Organization (WHO) in September 2009 released a complete global initiative on radon that recommended a reference level of 100 Bq/m3 for radon and urged other countries to establish strict radon measurements and guidelines for homes andbuildings under construction.
Is Our Home Safe From Cancer-Causing Radon?
By: Glenford Robinson
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