RMS Radon Science & Health Effects

Question 1

What element does radon decay from in the uranium decay series?

Accepted Answer

Radium-226

Answer

Carbon-14

Answer

Potassium-40

Answer

Strontium-90

Question 2

Why is radon considered the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Its radioactive decay products lodge in lung tissue and emit alpha radiation that damages DNA

Answer

It causes chemical burns to the airway lining

Answer

It depletes oxygen in enclosed spaces

Answer

It reacts with hemoglobin in blood

Question 3

What is the half-life of radon-222?

Accepted Answer

3.8 days

Answer

30 seconds

Answer

100 years

Answer

1 hour

Question 4

Which U.S. geographic areas tend to have the highest radon potential?

Accepted Answer

Northern states and areas with granite bedrock and glacial deposits

Answer

Only coastal areas along the Pacific Ocean

Answer

Exclusively desert regions of the Southwest

Answer

Only states along the Gulf of Mexico

Question 5

What unit of measurement is used for radon concentration in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Picocuries per liter (pCi/L)

Answer

Parts per million (ppm)

Answer

Milligrams per liter (mg/L)

Answer

Becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m³) only

Question 6

What is the synergistic effect of radon exposure and smoking?

Accepted Answer

Combined exposure to radon and tobacco smoke multiplies lung cancer risk far beyond either risk alone

Answer

Smoking protects against radon exposure

Answer

Radon neutralizes the effects of tobacco smoke

Answer

There is no interaction between radon and smoking