Rn

Radon

In the 1940s and 1950s, radon was briefly used in what was claimed to be a health treatment at spas and clinics, particularly in Montana and Idaho. People would sit in “radon therapy rooms” where they would breathe air containing radon, believing it had therapeutic benefits. This practice was later abandoned when the severe health risks of radon exposure became better understood.

Today, radon is recognized as the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, and rather than being used therapeutically, buildings are specifically designed to prevent radon accumulation.