What is Radon gas and why should I remove it from my home or office?

Radon is a natural radioactive gas which you cannot see, feel or taste. It comes from the minute amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils and represents just one stage in a natural cycle of atomic degradation from uranium through to stable lead. Since radon is an inert gas, it does not combine with other substances and tends to float about.

All buildings operate at slightly lowered atmospheric pressure because of stack effect, wind movement, temperature differentials and extraction fans. The suction generated by these effects can draw in minute quantities of the gas through cracks or gaps in the building construction at low level thus greatly increasing concentrations.

When radon itself degrades, the daughter elements produced have an extremely short half-life which means that, quantity for quantity, they can give up the same amount of energy as their parents in a much shorter time. If increased quantities of the gas and its daughter elements are breathed in then they can release their damaging alpha energy before they can be cleared by the natural movement of mucus in the lung.

If the alpha energy kills the cells of the lung lining this does not pose a major problem since they are rapidly replaced. However, if they are only damaged and the coding of the cell's DNA altered then the replacement cells may become cancerous. Over a long period the risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer, is increased. There is no "safe" level. Risk is relative to dose which rises with increases in concentration and exposure time. The minuscule volumes of gas found show potential danger to radio-activity.

Radon is measured in Becquerels per cubic metre (Bqm^-3).

Overall map of radon affected areas in England and Wales
england_wales_radon_map