January is National Radon Action Month

January is National Radon Action Month. Radon, a radioactive gas found in all 50 states, is responsible for over 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year, second only to cigarette smoking. Radon is naturally occurring in the soil wherever uranium deposits are located. Because it’s odorless and tasteless it’s not well-known as a health risk. There may be a substantial number of schools in the U.S. with radon problems, since not all states mandate radon testing. Pressure from the soil typically is greater than air pressure in a school, so the radon finds its way or is pushed into a school from cracks in building foundations, slabs, and other avenues of ingress. Once inside it’s breathed by the building’s occupants. The radioactive particles cause irritation in the lungs, leading to cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that all schools be tested and that action be taken to reduce elevated radon levels. Many schools have radon in them, yet not all schools test for radon. The only way to determine the presence of and the levels of radon is to test. The test is simple and inexpensive. Test kits can be purchased online or at hardware or home improvement stores. Since there are both short-term and long-term tests, it’s best to do both for a baseline if you haven’t ever done radon testing. The links below will help determine testing protocols and follow-up for your school. It’s better to test more than one area of your school. There are construction techniques that can alleviate the risk of radon. Older schools are more at risk than newer schools for radon intrusion due to cracking from settling, not as air-tight construction on foundations and floors, and less caulking / waterproofing at floor penetrations. Common problem areas include (Courtesy of Kansas State University) • Cracks in floors and walls • Gaps in suspended floors • Openings around sump pumps and drains • Cavities in walls • Joints in construction materials • Gaps around utility penetrations (pipes and wires) • Crawl spaces that open directly into the building The U.S. EPA recommends schools hire professionals for radon testing. Fixes for radon intrusion can be fairly inexpensive. The link below will help you find your state’s radon office. www.sosradon.org – Kansas State University’s radon education website. http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pdfs/kit/managing_radon.pdf - managing radon in schools. There is a substantial amount of information on this site. http://www.epa.gov/radon/whereyoulive.html http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs www.epa.gov/radon/pdfs/zonemapcolor.pdf - a map showing the three radon zones in the U.S. Zone 1 (yellow) is the least likely to experience radon problems. Again, the only way to really determine your school’s radon infiltration is to test.