Radon is element 86 on the periodic table and is a naturally occurring odorless and tasteless gas. Radon is the product of radium, which is an element that comes from the decay of uranium and thorium. Radon gas is released underground where these processes take place and flows up through the ground into the atmosphere, where is disperses.  However if a home is built in an area with a higher contamination of radioactive elements, it will cause the home's air to be contaminated with radon. When a building has a high concentration of radon, it will lead to adverse health effects to those who occupy it due to radon's ionizing properties, which cause damage to the soft tissue that is present in the lungs. The damage that radon causes to the lungs is the reason that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Furthermore, it is undetectable without the use of specialized equipment, it is a metaphorical bogey man hiding just out of sight and radon is present in 1 in 15 homes.