Although most radon is exhaled before it can do much damage, the decay-products can remain trapped in the respiratory system, attached to dust, smoke, and other fine particles from the air. Eventually, the concentration of these radioactive elements in constant, close contact with lung tissue can cause cancer. Therefore, estimates of any health risks from the ingestion of radon must be based on indirect evidence. L is about 3 to 12 in 100. Some people who drink water containing radium 226 or 228 in excess of the MCL over many years may have an increased risk of getting cancer.
Radium is a known cause of bone and nasal cancers.
It is especially dangerous to children who have developing bone tissue. When a person ingests radium, the body interprets the radioactive element as calcium and deposits it in bones. Because it accumulates in the body, radium is considered to pose a greater cancer risk than most other radioactive elements. Since air is moving in and out of the soil, radon is able to pass through fairly easily. Radon gas can enter the home in a variety of ways, including dirt floors, cracks in concrete floors and walls, floor drains, sumps, tiny cracks or pores in hollow walls, and from the ground water supply.