Abstract
Radon (Chemical Abstract Services Registry Number 10043-92-2) is a radioactive, naturally occurring chemically inert gas. Radon isotopes are members of the actinium, radium, and thorium radioactive decay series. The most stable isotope has an atomic weight of 222 and a half-life of 3.8 days. Radon is widely dispersed in rock and soil, but because of its chemical inertness, easily emerges from the ground and accumulates in enclosed spaces. Radon is a major source of human exposure to background radiation, and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that exposure to radon at high doses is a significant cause of lung cancer.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Encyclopedia of Toxicology |
| Subtitle of host publication | Third Edition |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Pages | 46-50 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780123864543 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780123864550 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2014 |
Keywords
- Actinium emanation
- Alpha decay
- Indoor air quality
- Ionizing radiation
- Lung cancer
- Monatomic gas
- Noble gas
- Radionuclide
- Radium emanation
- Radon-222
- Thorium emanation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine