radon [Rn]
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Introduction
Derived from its element of origin, radium. Discovered in 1898 by Frederich Ernst Dorn.
Occurrence
- Radon 222 arises naturally from decay of uranium 238
- Average home concentrations of radon gas (Europe) 100 Bq/m3
Characteristics
- heavy radioactive gaseous element formed by disintegration of radium.
Caution: Biohazard
Pathology
- Levels of radon > 800 Bq/m3 associated with 2-fold increase in lung cancer[3] for non smokers
- Absolute risks of lung cancer by age 75 at radon concentrations of 0, 100, & 400 Bq/m3 is 0.4%, 0.5%, & 0.7%, respectively, for lifelong non-smokers
- Risk is 25 times greater (10%, 12%, and 16%) for cigarette smokers (1 pack/day).
More general terms
Additional terms
References
- ↑ Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Miriam- Webster Inc. Springfield, MA 1990
- ↑ Chemical & Engineering News, Sept 8, 2003
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Journal Watch 25(7):57, 2005 Radon in homes and risk of lung cancer: collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 European case-control studies. BMJ. 2005 Jan 29;330(7485):223. Epub 2004 Dec 21. <PubMed> PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15613366 <Internet> http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7485/223
- ↑ National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Radon https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/radon/index.cfm