info radon

Chemical Element:

Information: Radon

Known Methods of Extraction

Great — now we move to **Radon (Rn, atomic number 86).** ⚠️ Radon is a **radioactive noble gas**, produced naturally from the decay of **uranium, thorium, and radium** in rocks and soils. It is not chemically extracted like metals; instead, it is **collected, separated, and purified** from sources where it naturally forms. Here are the **20 most common methods of extracting Radon**: --- # **20 Most Common Methods of Extracting Radon** ### **A. Natural Occurrence & Collection** 1. **Collection from Uranium-Rich Soils** – Soil gas sampling for radon measurement. 2. **Extraction from Groundwater** – Pumping water from aquifers, where radon is dissolved. 3. **Collection from Mine Air** – Historic and modern sampling in uranium/coal mines. 4. **Emanation from Granite & Phosphate Rocks** – Passive release from minerals. 5. **Recovery from Building Basements/Crawlspaces** – Used in environmental monitoring. --- ### **B. Radium-Based Production (Lab Scale)** 6. **Decay of Radium-226** – Classic method, since ^226Ra → ^222Rn naturally. 7. **Encapsulation of Radium Salts** – Traps radon as it decays out of RaCl₂ or Ra(NO₃)₂. 8. **Radon Extraction Chambers (Radium Sources)** – Radon collected by pumping gas. 9. **Continuous Flow Radon Generators** – Radium solution produces radon continuously for calibration. --- ### **C. Collection & Trapping Methods** 10. **Activated Charcoal Adsorption** – Standard technique for capturing radon from air. 11. **Zeolite Molecular Sieve Adsorption** – Selectively traps noble gases including radon. 12. **Cryogenic Cooling (Cold Traps)** – Radon condenses at low temperatures. 13. **Liquid Nitrogen Trapping** – Efficient for isolating radon from mixed gases. 14. **Membrane Separation (Gas Diffusion)** – Selectively enriches radon gas. 15. **Electrostatic Precipitation** – Collects radon daughters, indirectly concentrating radon. --- ### **D. Measurement-Oriented Extraction** 16. **Scintillation Cells (Lucas Cells)** – Small chambers filled with extracted radon for detection. 17. **Liquid Scintillator Absorption** – Dissolves radon in liquid for radiation counting. 18. **Fluorescence Track Detectors (Solid-State Passive Collection)** – Detects radon after adsorption. 19. **Radon-in-Oil Absorption** – Dissolving radon into mineral oil for lab studies. 20. **Continuous Airflow Pumping into Detection Chambers** – Used in environmental radon monitoring. --- ✅ **Summary:** * **Main practical source**: radon comes from **radium decay** (especially ^226Ra). * **Collection techniques**: adsorption on charcoal/zeolite, cryogenic cooling, and gas transfer. * **Modern usage**: mostly in **environmental monitoring, health studies, and calibration of detectors**. * **Historical use**: radon was once used in **radon therapy** (now obsolete due to cancer risk). --- Next in order is **Francium (Fr, atomic number 87).** Would you like me to list the **20 most common methods of extracting Francium** (even though it’s the rarest alkali metal)?