It is widely known that breathing radon in the indoor air of homes is a public health risk. In 1998, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) reported that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., after smoking, causing about 15,000 lung cancer deaths per year.
Radon is a radioactive gas occurring naturally in the environment. It is produced by the breakdown of uranium in soil and rock. Radon gas, moving through the soil, enters buildings through cracks and holes in the foundation. However, when radon is released in the ground, it can also dissolve and accumulate in groundwater, such as well water, and affect drinking water supplies. Radon gas easily escapes from water once the water is exposed to air. Radon gas is released into the indoor air of a home by simply running the water for household purposes.
While the risk of radon entering homes through water is small compared with that of radon entering through the soil, the gas released from the water will contribute to the total indoor air concentration. About 1-2% of the radon in indoor air comes from drinking water....