Radon () is a chemical element that has the symbol Rn and atomic number 86. Radon is a radioactive noble gas that is formed by the decay of radium. It is one of the heaviest gases and is considered to be a health hazard. The most stable isotope is 222Rn which has a half-life of 3.8 days and is used in radiotherapy. Radon is a significant contaminant that affects indoor air quality worldwide. Radon gas from natural sources can accumulate in buildings and reportedly causes 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States alone.http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/citguide.html
Notable characteristics
Essentially chemically inert but radioactive, radon is the heaviest noble gas and one of the heaviest gases at room temperature. At standard temperature and pressure radon is a colorless gas, but when it is cooled below its freezing point (202 K ; ?71 °C ; ?96 °F) it has a brilliant phosphorescence which turns yellow as the temperature is lowered, and becomes orange-red at the t