210Pb concentration in household dust: a potential indicator of long-term indoor radon exposure.

Radon decays to a long-lived isotope 210Pb with a half-life of about 22 years. Measuring concentrations of 210Pb in household dust could be an alternative method of determining indoor radon levels. This novel method for estimating long-term radon concentration was explored in over a hundred Canadian residential homes. The results demonstrate that 210Pb concentrations in household dust relate reasonably well to radon concentrations in homes.