What is Radon Gas

Radon is a radioactive element that is part if the radioactive decay chain of naturally occurring uranium in soil.  Radon is odor less, colorless & tasteless.  Unlike carbon monoxide and many other home pollutants, radon's adverse health effect, lung cancer, is usually not produced immediately.  Thus you may be exposed to radon for many years without ever suspecting its presence in your home. 

The USEPA action level for radon is 4.0 picocuries per liter of air (pCi/L).  The risk of lung cancer at 4.0 pCi/L is estimated at about 7 lung cancer deaths per 1000 persons.  That is why the USEPA and the IEMA recommend reducing your radon level if the concentration is 4.0 pCi/L or more. 

Lung cancer in humans arising from radon exposure is recognized by the health and environmental organizations, including

American Medical Association
U.S. Surgeon General
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
U.S. Public Health Services
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Center for Disease Control
National Academy of Science
National Cancer Institute
World Health Organization

Source: Illinois Emergency Management Agency ( IEMA )