Radon

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

Humans who live in houses are less exposed to radon than if they lived
in caves (although tents probably have least exposure potential).  Radon
levels in limestone caves can be quite high.  The National Park Service
closed access to a cave in Cades Cove (a limestone "window" in an
overthrust sheet of metamorphic rocks) in the Great Smoky Mountains due
to high radon levels--sorry I don't have the numbers.  This always
struck me as an overreaction, considering that cavers generally don't
spend more than a few hours a week in caves and the physical dangers
(falling, hypothermia, car accidents traveling to/from the cave, etc.)
far outweigh risks from radon exposure.
-- 
==================================================
Susan L. Gawarecki, Ph.D., Executive Director
Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee, Inc.
136 South Illinois Avenue, Suite 208
Oak Ridge, Tennessee  37830
Phone (423) 483-1333; Fax (423) 482-6572; E-mail loc@icx.net
VISIT OUR UPDATED WEB SITE:  http://www.local-oversight.org
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