|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

What Does Radon Look Like?

Radon is an invisible radioactive gas. It is a product of the decay of radioactive ores, primarily radium, found in water, soil and rocks throughout the world.

  1. History

    • Radon was discovered in 1900 by the German physicist Friedrich Ernst Dorn.

    Identification

    • Radon is a radioactive noble gas, designated with the symbol Rn and the atomic number 86 on the periodic table of the elements.

    Features

    • Radon is colorless and odorless at room temperature. When cooled to a solid state, it glows yellow and then orange-red as the temperature falls.

    Function

    • Radon is sometimes used to treat cancer patients. Radon gas also is a byproduct of the radium salt used for the glowing numbers on vintage clocks and watches.

    Significance

    • Indoor exposure to radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., after smoking. The gas seeps into buildings from surrounding radium, uranium or thorium rock.

Environmental Health - Related Articles