Institute for Tribal Environmental ProfessionalsEnvironmental
Education Outreach Programwww.nau.edu/eeop/
Radon ActivityRadon impacts on the lungs
Lost miners and millers in communities due to radon exposure
Radon continues to be an issue
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RadonOdorless, colorlessRadon in air is ubiquitous Found in
outdoor air and indoor air of buildings of all kinds No known safe
level of radon
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Radon (cont.)Red alert - radon level above 4 pCi/L (pico Curies
per Liter) Yellow alert - radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L
Average radon indoor air is about 1.3 pCi/L
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Radon DaughtersRadon, Polonium, Lead, Bismuth, and Polonium have
short half-livesResults in several exposures in a short time
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Radon in LungsRadon or decay products inhaledParticles irradiate
lungsIrradiation can cause lung cancerCigarette smoking synergistic
impactRadon
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Radon in BuildingsFrom the soilLower parts of building at
greatest riskStack effect
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Radon Testing
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Radon Mitigation
Mansel: USE POINTERRadon is the decay product from Uranium as
shown in this chart. The precursors to radon are all solid, so it
is difficult for them to move around. Once radium decays to radon,
radon is a gas and can move around. Another factor to consider is
the short half life of radon and its daughters. Within a short
amount of time there are several decays, each releasing radiation
that can lead to damage in the lungs.
