Transport Mechanism #3 – Emanation from Building Materials

If radium is already inside the house, there is no need for a complicated entry pathway. Radon will be released directly to the house air as the radium decays. Although materials containing radium are not the most common sources of elevated levels of radon in buildings, releases happen occasionally. Materials that have been found in some instances to be sources of radon in buildings are:

• Concrete and concrete products made from uranium mine tailings.
• Building materials containing radium.
• Countertops constructed of granite.
• Exposed natural materials within the building (i.e. exposed brick or bedrock).
• Rock used as thermal mass for solar heating systems.