Monitoring radon in indoor air

Radon, a naturally occurring radioactive noble gas, has long been known to cause lung cancer when present at fairly high levels, as in uranium mines. But recently there has been increasing concern over the possible health effects of long-term exposure to lower levels of radon in indoor air. Because the radon detectors developed for monitoring radon levels in uranium mines are inappropriate for large-scale studies of low-level indoor radon contamination, several simple and inexpensive methods have been developed to check the levels of radon in homes and other buildings. Two simple, passive radon monitors that provide sensitive, time-integrated measurements of radon concentrations have recently been developed. 5 references, 2 figures