How radon enters your house Radon is a naturally occurring
radioactive gas produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil,
rock, and water. Air pressure inside your home is usually lower
than pressure in the soil around your home's foundation. Because
of this difference in pressure, your house acts like a vacuum,
drawing radon in through foundation cracks and other openings.
Radon may also be present in well water and can be released into
the air in your home when water is used for showering and other
household uses. In most cases, radon entering the home through
water is a small risk compared with radon entering your home
from the soil. In a small number of homes, the building
materials (e.g., granite and certain concrete products) can give
off radon, although building materials rarely cause radon
problems by themselves. In the United States, radon gas in soils
is the principal source of elevated radon levels in homes. Radon
is a cancer-causing, radioactive gas Radon is estimated to cause
many thousands of lun