RadonLe radon est l'élément chimique de numéro atomique 86, de symbole Rn. C'est un gaz noble (ou gaz rare) radioactif, incolore, inodore et d'origine le plus souvent naturelle. C'est l'une des substances les plus denses capables de persister sous forme de gaz dans les conditions normales de température et de pression. Le radon n'existe pas sous forme de corps stable et tous ses isotopes connus sont radioactifs. Son isotope le plus stable est le Rn, qui a une demi-vie de et qui a été utilisé en radiothérapie jusque dans les années 1950.
Health effects of radonRadon, a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, has been studied by a number of scientific and medical bodies for its effects on health. A naturally-occurring gas formed as a decay product of radium, radon is one of the densest substances that remains a gas under normal conditions, and is considered to be a health hazard due to its radioactivity. Its most stable isotope, radon-222 (222Rn), has a half-life of 3.8 days. Due to its high radioactivity, it has been less well studied by chemists, but a few compounds are known.
