Radon is a cancer causing, radioactive gas.
You can't see it, smell it or taste it. Radon is produced by the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water. According to the National Safety Council, radon is estimated to cause about 14,000 deaths per year, although the number could be as many as 30,000. Radon is inhaled and becomes lodged in the lungs where it can radiate and penetrate the cells of the respiratory system. The decay of radon emits alpha particles which are damaging to these tissues.