Abstract: Radon generated within the upper few meters of the Earth's crust by the radioactive decay of radium can migrate during its brief lifetime from soil into the atmosphere. This phenomenon leads to a human health concern as inhalation of the short‐lived decay products of radon causes irradiation of cells lining the respiratory tract. This paper reviews the factors that control the rate at which two radon isotopes, 222Rn and 220Rn, enter outdoor and indoor air from soil. The radium content of surface soils in the United States is usually in the ra...
(read more)
Topics: 
Soil science
Environmental chemistry