Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and chemically inert radioactive gas. It is formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Naturally existing, low levels of uranium occur widely in Earth's crust. It can be found in all 50 states. Unless you test for it, there is no way of telling how much is present.
U.S. Surgeon General Issues New National Health Advisory on Radon
Today the Surgeon General of the United States, Richard Carmona, issued a Health Advisory about the health risk from exposure to radon in indoor air. He urged Americans to test their homes to find out how much radon they might be breathing. Dr. Carmona also stressed the need to remedy the problem as soon as possible when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or more. Dr. Carmona noted that more than 20,000 Americans die of radon-related lung cancer each year. View the press release and full text of the Surgeon General's Health Advisory on radon.
National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University are funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Cooperative Agreement XA-83312602.