Ministry of Health estimates that about 100 people a year die of radon induced lung cancer in the Province of British Columbia. Radon likely causes more lung cancers than second hand tobacco smoke. US Government geology website Radon is a gas produced by the radioactive decay of the element radium .Radon itself is radioactive because it also decays, losing an alpha particle and forming the element polonium. Polunium is also radioactive - it is this element, which is produced by radon in the air and in people's lungs, that can hurt lung tissue and cause lung cancer. It is created when sulfuric acid is used with phosphate rock to produce phosphoric acid.
Phosphoric acid is used in the production of phosphatic fertilizers.
Because of other elements present in phosphates deposits such as uranium and cadmium, phosphogypsum typically contains radon and other radioactive materials and can be extremely hazardous. The three main types of radiation, alpha, beta, and gamma have different penetrating abilities. But if alpha radiation is received internally than the damage to the surrounding tissue is expected to be 20 times more harmful than the expected damages from beta or gamma radiation. The evidence is definite. Cancer statisticians have had trouble explaining the increased lung cancer rate despite the almost 20 percent reduction in tobacco use in males.