Radon-222: environmental behavior and impact to (human and non-human) biota

As an inert radioactive gas, Rn-222 could be easily transported to the atmosphere via emanation, migration, or exhalation. Research measurements pointed out that Rn-222 activity concentration changes during the winter and summer months, as well as during wet and dry season periods. Changes in radon concentration can affect the atmospheric electric field. At the boundary layer near the ground, short-lived daughters of Rn-222 can be used as natural tracers in the atmosphere. In this work, factors controlling Rn-222 pathways in the environment and its levels in soil gas and outdoor air are summarized. Rn-222 has a short half-life of 3.82 days, but the dose rate due to radon and its radioactive progeny could be significant to the living beings. Epidemiological studies on humans pointed out that up to 14% of lung cancers are induced by exposure to low and moderate concentrations of radon. Animals that breed in ground holes have been exposed to the higher doses due to radiation present in soil air. During the years, different dose-effect models are developed for risk assessment on human and non-human biota. In this work are reviewed research results of Rn-222 exposure of human and non-human biota.