Radon is a concern of many residents in Wyoming because breathing air containing high levels of radon poses a health risk. One source of radon in indoor air is ground water.
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that naturally occurs in rocks, soil, water, and air.
Radioactive decay is a natural, spontaneous process in which an atom of one radioactive element breaks down to form another element or isotope. The rate of an isotope's decay is defined by its half-life, or the time it takes for one half of a given amount of the element to decay. The ultimate source of radon is uranium and most rocks contain some uranium. In Wyoming, some rocks and sediments derived from various rock types can contain higher amounts of uranium. In addition, sediment and soil derived from these rocks can have high amounts of uranium.