Ever wonder about people who get lung cancer who have never smoked?
Well one answer could be breathing in high concentrations of Radon Gas.
What is Radon Gas
Radon is a radioactive gas which occurs naturally and has no smell, colour or taste.
It is released by radioactive decay of radium, which is found in small amounts in rocks and soil.
As radon is inert it can rise through the soil and enter your house.
If it becomes trapped in your house the concentrations can rise.
The radioactive particles in higher concentrations can damage the lung, and there is evidence that smoking increases the damage.
The Good News
Most of Australia is low risk
Australia typically has very low levels of radon gas.
A nationwide survey has shown that the average concentration of radon is around one quarter of the worldwide average.
My suburb of Footscray has a typical level of 7 Bq m⁻³ (Becquerel per cubic m) much less than the action level of 200 Bq m⁻³
You can check your area at this link: Radon Map of Australia
Modern construction techniques reduce the risk
The combination of a concrete slab with an Under Slab Membrane will considerably reduce the penetration of radon into the building.
If you are building on stumps as long as there is good ventilation under the floor there should be no problems.
Want to know more? check out the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety website