S-Tiles - radon "silent killer"

RADON "SILENT KILLER"

Radon is a colourless, odourless, naturally occurring gas, continuously generated from radium by the radioactive decay of Uranium 238 together with ionising radiation (IR). Radon emanates from the earth and on a smaller scale from certain construction materials and water pipes. It is present everywhere and in the open air it rapidly disperses and rarely reaches hazardous concentrations. The gas is much more harmful when present indoors, where it tends to accumulate, reaching levels likely to represent a risk to health (in the United States it has been called the silent killer because though imperceptible, it causes tissue damage and very serious illnesses).

The UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) has stated that radon is the main source of ionising radiation to which the world’s population is exposed. It should be noted in this context that Radon is harmful to inhale. The hypothesis of a link between high concentrations of this gas and lung cancer was demonstrated early in the twentieth century. In 1988 the International Agency for Cancer Research of the WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) identified radon as a “Class A” carcinogen, putting it in second place (10%) after tobacco smoke (85%) as the cause of lung tumours. The risk of developing such severe symptoms among smokers exposed to radon is around 15 times higher than non-smokers exposed to the same concentrations.