Health Hazards Associated With Radon And Its Ill Effects

A colorless, tasteless, radioactive, odorless, noble gas with the symbol Rn is a very dense substance. It is a naturally occurring gas which is the decay product of uranium. Even under normal conditions it remains to be a gas and is a very dense substance.

Disadvantages

It is believed to be hazardous because of it is a radioactive gas. Chemists have studied it quite well to because it is an intensely radioactive element. Radon contaminates the air quality indoor ultimately causing various health hazards. It is one of the major causes of cancer and in the United States of America it causes close to 21,000 deaths every year.

Medical Effects

The molecules of Radon kill the cancerous cells but it does not let the cell live for long in fact it’s exactly the opposite. The radiation which is ionized forms the free radicals resulting in genetic damages and even cancer.

Exposure to Radon can be Hazardous

Radiation detection is a process which is caused due to exposure to Radon. It mitigates auto-immune diseases like arthritis. This is the reason why in the later phase of the 20th century and in the early phase of the 21st century, several health mines were developed. These health mines were developed in Basin, Montana and they worked as magnets to attract people who wanted to get rid of several health problems like arthritis. Although this practice has invited many controversies due to the well discovered harmful effects of over dose of radiation.

The most aggressive cause of Lung Cancer only after Tobacco

Radon is one of the most dangerous causes of lung cancer in the people who do not smoke the EPA estimates reveal. Out of the 21000 deaths due to lung cancer every year, 2,900 deaths happen of people who are not even smokers but have been probably exposed to Radon. The maximum deaths due to lung cancer occur amongst people who smoke tobacco but Radon also causes a large number of deaths by causing lung cancer. Once radon starts decaying radioactive particles which are very small in size, are disbursed. Inhalation of these particles can cause hazardous cancerous changes in the nearest cells and if you breathe them the chances of lung cancer increases even more.

Other Health Related Issues Caused by Radon

Radon causes a number of health hazards which may even cause death. The International Agency for Research on cancer has classified Radon-222 as carcinogenic which is hazardous to humans. Various researches have proved that lung cancer rates are elevated in underground miners who are exposed to Radon and its decay products. Proof for carcinogenicity of Radon as well as its decay products has been well provided.

Causes of Exposure to Radon

The most basic way of exposure to Radon and its decay products is inhalation. Radon causes indirect radiation exposure. Although studies suggest that Radon directly does not because health related problems. It is the decay of Radon which causes various health hazards. Therefore the cause of health problems is not directly Radon but its radioactive products which develop in the process of decay of Radon.

Radioactivity of Radon generally affects the human body. High dose of cancer causes lung cancer which is the consequence which has been discovered as of now. The Radon induced toxicity target the respiratory system and lung. This has been proved by a number of medical studies which have been conducted on humans as well as animals.

Life Span of Radon

Radon lives for only a short span of four days. It very soon decays and takes the form of solid particulate radium series which are radioactive nuclides. Polonium-218 and polonium-214 are two of the decay products of Radon which can cause major radiologic hazard. Once inhaled, the atoms of Radon decay inside the lungs which as a result in the birth of radioactive polonium and finally the atoms attach themselves to the tissues which is the nearest.

Hazards of inhaling Radon

If aerosol or dust particles which carry the decay products of Radon are inhaled, the pattern of deposition of the products which occur due to decay is decided by the way the particles in the lung behaves. Particles with even more small diameter spread themselves deep into the respiratory system. The particles with large diameter deposit themselves in the higher layers of the air and they get cleared by the mucociliary staircase of the body.

The already settled atoms or dust particles which are radioactive continue decaying. This causes sequential exposure as they emit vibrant alpha radiation along with little gamma radiation also which can cause damage to the vital molecules inside the cells of lungs. They may either create free radicals or cause DNA breaks or even damage to DNA. Perhaps it causes mutations which at times prove to be cancerous.

Ill Effects of Radon

If the ill effects of Radon are found in drinking water or food are unknown they can prove to be hazardous. The Radon which is dissolved in water if ingested the biology of the mid-life for removing Radon takes thirty to seventy minutes of time. Within hundred minutes approximately 90% Radon which has been absorbed is removed by exhaling. Only 1% of the absorbed Radon is left by 600 minutes.

Combination of Smoking and Radon can Prove to be Fatal

Smoking is the major cause of lung cancer which is even more risky than the inhalation of Radon. In fact the radiation due to Radon increases the risk of lung cancer in the smokers. Exposure to both Radon and smoke is vibrant which means that both if combined the effect will be even more harmful than the effects caused by both independently. When the daughter of Radon sticks itself to smoke or dust it is lodges itself in the lungs.
Various studies are being conducted to know if Radon causes other types of cancer also. However, the results are still unknown. Further studies are also being conducted to understand the relation between Radon and cancer.

Exposure to Radon at Home

Most of the exposure to Radon happens at home however the amount of concentration of radon depends on a  number of factors like the underlying rocks containing uranium, means of entry of Radon in the house, rate at which the air indoor and outdoor are exchanged, etc.