Radon (Rn)

Isotopes of Radon

Radon was discovered in 1900 by Friedrich Ernst Dorn. It was called “niton” until 1923, after the Latin word nitens, meaning “shining.” Since 1923 it has been called “radon,” after the element radium. It is one of the intermediate Uranium-238 series, and the “first daughter” of Radium-226. A colorless gas that is strongly absorbed onto surfaces, it dissolves in water and is slightly soluble in alcohol and other organic solvents. It solidifies to an opaque crystalline solid.

Radon is a radiation source for treating cancer. It is safer than Radium-226 because of its much shorter half-life. In addition, its solution in petroleum jelly is used in some ointments for treating certain skin diseases. Non-medical uses of radon include its application as a gaseous tracer to detect leaks; to measure flow rates; as a source of neutrons in radon-beryllium mixes; to ionize gases to promote radon-induced chemical reactions such as oxidation, decomposition and polymerization; to measure reaction rates; and as a point source of gamma rays in radiography to inspect welding and castings of metals.

Exposure to radon can cause lung cancer. While it is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, it is the number one cause among non-smokers, according to United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates.

Properties of Radon

Research

• Use of hydrochemistry, stable isotope, radiocarbon, ²²²Rn and terrigenic ⁴He to study the geochemical processes and the mode of vertical leakage to the Gambier Basin Tertiary Confined Sand Aquifer, South Australia