WHAT IS RADON?

Radon is a naturally radioactive colourless, odorless and extremely volatile gas produced by the decay of radion, which is in turn produced by the decay of uranium U238. Both are naturally present, in variable amounts, in the Earth’s crust. The main source of Radon gas is the ground: it seeps through the soil and accumulates into rooms and enclosed places. It is very dangerous as it is cancerogenic: its prolonged inhalation is considered the second cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoke; the risk of cancer development is proportional to the exposure to radioactive gas. The only protection from Radon are ventilated foundations, as they disperse the gas into the atmosphere outside the building.

RADON GAS KILLS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) classified radon as a carcinogen gas for humans. Every year this gas causes thousands of cases of lung cancer. Radon is a radioactive gas and can be a carcinogen when inhaled: it mainly seeps through the ground (but can also be present in construction materials, specially if volcanic such as tuff or granits, and more rarely in water), and it disperses in the air. In enclosed spaces it accumulates and concentrates, becoming dangerous: it’s estimated that radon gas is the second cause for lung cancer after cigarette smoke.

The danger of RADON accumulation in a house built with traditional foundations.