It’s naturally occurring and it’s just about everywhere, so we are all exposed to it. People who are regularly exposed to high radon levels, though, are at increased risk of lung cancer – especially if they smoke. Because radon is odorless and colorless, the only way to determine if your home is safe is to conduct testing.
Radon is a radioactive gas that forms naturally when uranium, thorium, or radium, which are radioactive metals break down in rocks, soil and groundwater. People can be exposed to radon primarily from breathing radon in air that comes through cracks and gaps in buildings and homes. Because radon comes naturally from the earth, people are always exposed to it.