Is Radon in Wisconsin a Hoax?

How Long Has Radon Been Around?

Radon is named for the element on the periodic table of elements, Radium.

Friedrich Ernst Dorn was a German Physicist born in Guttstadt, Providence of Prussia. He was a professor at Halle University and eventually got into experimental physics as the director of the physics institute. Dorn had repeated and extended earlier work by Ernest Rutherford. Dorn had verified Rutherford’s observation that a radioactive material was emitted by thorium, and discovered that a similar emission came from an element called radium.  Further work by Rutherford showed that the same emission came from both thorium and radium and that it was a gas. It was determined this was actually a new element!

This all took place in the early 1900’s. Officially, radon has been known as radon since 1923. Lifetime Radon Solutions commonly gets asked, “Is radon a hoax?” Some may think radon is a hoax, however it IS the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The World Health Organization has categorized radon as a carcinogenic substance causing lung cancer. Radon mainly exists in soil or rock. The gas decays into radioactive particles called radon progeny that can enter the human body by breathing. Once in our body, these radioactive elements release alpha radiation (a-rays) that can affect lung tissue, causing cancer upon long-term exposure of radon.

The USEPA, Public Health England, and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority of Finland, among many other national institutions in North America and Europe, have performed national surveys to measure indoor radon concentrations and create maps of radon-prone areas, reflecting regional, geological differences in radon deposits. If you have any concerns about radon or questions, Lifetime Radon Solutions can test for radon in your home. If radon levels are over the EPA’s suggested safe level of 4.0 pCi/l (pico curies per liter) we can also mitigate radon in your home to below 4.0 pCi/l.