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Article: Radon: the seeping home invader. (includes related article)
- Article from:
- Current Events, a Weekly Reader publication
- Article date:
- February 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Weekly Reader Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Though some recent studies question whether even low levels of radon are a health threat to humans, most scientists think the radioactive gas - which is found in all buildings - is still a problem.
Major health organizations, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Lung Association, agree that radon causes thousands of preventable lung cancer deaths every year.
What is radon? You cannot see, taste, or smell it. It is a product of the natural decay of uranium, a radioactive element used to make nuclear energy. Uranium is found in granite, shale, and phosphate-bearing rocks. Small amounts are found throughout the earth's crust.
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