If a person living in a high-radon area is exposed to 0.400 rem of radiation from radon per year, and his total exposure is 0.585 rem, what percentage of his total exposure is due to radon?

Radiation exposure is a crucial concern in environmental and health sciences. When we measure radiation, we're often referring to the dose of radiation absorbed by an individual or an object. One common unit of measurement is the 'rem', which stands for Roentgen Equivalent Man. This unit assesses the effect of ionizing radiation on human tissue. For context, the average person receives an annual background radiation dose of about 0.300 rem from natural sources like the sun and the radioactive materials found in the earth.

Understanding the rem is essential for grasping just how much radiation a person is exposed to. When we say someone is exposed to 0.400 rem of radiation from radon, it means their body has absorbed radiation that is equivalent to the effect of 0.400 rem worth of X-rays on human tissue. This kind of measurement helps health professionals and environmental scientists assess risks and establish safety guidelines.

Calculating the percentage of radiation exposure from a specific source like radon is straightforward when you have the relevant data. To do this, we use a simple formula:

\[\begin{equation}\text{Percentage from Radon} = \left(\frac{\text{Radon Exposure}}{\text{Total Exposure}}\right) \times 100\text{\%}.\end{equation}\]
Using the given values, if a person's exposure due to radon is 0.400 rem and their total exposure is 0.585 rem, the calculation is as follows:
\[\begin{equation}\text{Exposure Percentage from Radon} = \left(\frac{0.400\,\text{rem}}{0.585\,\text{rem}}\right) \times 100\approx 68.38\text{\%}.\end{equation}\]
This tells us that approximately 68.38% of the total radiation exposure is due to radon. This information might be used by health professionals to recommend safety measures or mitigation techniques to reduce exposure.

Environmental chemistry plays a pivotal role when we study the impact of radon and other radioactive elements in our surroundings. Radon is a colorless, tasteless, and odorless gas that can accumulate in buildings, especially in areas with high natural concentrations of uranium in the ground, from where radon is naturally released.

Since radon is a product of radioactive decay, it is itself radioactively unstable and poses health risks due to the alpha particles it emits. These particles can damage lung tissue when inhaled, which is why radon is a significant concern in terms of indoor air quality and public health. This ties back to the importance of measuring radiation effectively and understanding the exposure percentage. By understanding the chemistry of the environment and how radon interacts with it, we can better implement safety standards and develop technologies to mitigate its harmful effects.