3 ms·
Radon's most stable isotope has a half life of only a few day, so if there's radon in the wood there must also be uranium or thorium in the wood to create that
by mcpackieh 3y ago
Radon's most stable isotope has a half life of only a few day, so if there's radon in the wood there must also be uranium or thorium in the wood to create that radon, and that must have come from the soil. Not impossible I guess, but I think if trees in your area have that much uranium/thorium in them, your primary concern would be radon coming up through the ground into your house.
If there's a correlation between burning wood and radon related health issues, I suspect it's not because of radon coming from the wood but rather smoke from the wood making residents particularly susceptible to injury from radon coming up from the ground. Such an effect is known to exist with tobacco smoke at least.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- 29athrowaway 3y agoI am no scientist but I know radon is bad, and it comes from underground. Underground water can contain radon, and it is an issue when it comes to wells and houses. Trees can suck that radon and when you burn wood a radon meter shows an increase.
- mcpackieh 3y agoA tree could suck up water containing radon, but after you cut down the tree and let it dry under a shed for a few weeks that radon will be gone. It will have all decayed away because the half life is only 3.8 days. For firewood to still contain radon a few weeks after the tree was cut down, it must have a fairly substantial amount of uranium or thorium in it (constantly producing new radon.)
- 29athrowaway 3y agoInsighful, thanks. Then my radon meter must have been affected by something else.