Radon begins with uranium. Uranium, number 86 in the periodic table of elements, is a metal that is located in rocks found all over the world. When uranium breaks down in the rocks a gas is produced in the soil. This naturally occurring gas, called radon, is radioactivity. When the uranium decays, the release of energy creates this radioactivity. As the breakdown of uranium turns into the radioactive gas of radon, it moves up through the soil bound for the atmosphere. Radon has no taste, no odor, and no color and has been found in all 50 of the United States.
