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.

Green Building Resources

In times of severe budget constraints how is a school to work on increasing Indoor Environmental Quality? Here are some resources for all school districts.
One resource is the US Green Building Council, a nonprofit organization, originator of the LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) rating system. The organization’s goal is to have every student in a green school in this generation. I know I’ve said it before but this is a wonderful goal, similar to putting a man on the moon, only better. With many volunteers in Green Schools Committees in most states, the USGBC is a great resource for green schools, for new construction and for renovations. A program developed here in our North Texas Green Schools Committee is Green in a Box, which contains information and Indoor Air Quality handheld testing tools in a lending library, so schools are able to check out a Green in a Box (GIB) kit that includes “7 Steps to a 21st Century Building Performance Using Your 20th Century Building”. This lending library is available to all schools, public and private, K-12 and higher education. A volunteer comes with each Green in a Box checkout. Green in a Box was developed in response to the question, “As a green building resource, what is the one thing the Committee can do to help schools with their needs?” Volunteers educate on the importance of providing a healthy place for students and staff while reducing expenses.
Volunteers are also available to speak to your group: administrators, school boards, school nurses, facilities and maintenance departments, teachers, students, PTA’s, parents, and the community to help educate on hows and whys of LEED and green schools.
A new program within the US Green Building Council is the Center for Green Schools. (I was thrilled to be invited to Washington DC to attend the formal launch of the Center for Green Schools in 2009.) The Center for Green Schools is envisioned as the resource that will help green schools become a reality. Check out the website for information.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency operates a Schools section to help schools to understand and develop IEQ programs. Their Tools for Schools program is a step-by-step aid, and their Healthy SEAT is a software program that is used to log data for IEQ programs. EPA also has student and teacher education opportunities.
Both USGBC and EPA can help schools implement green cleaning.
Many districts hire consultants when they’re in the planning stage of a project in order to help them achieve better learning outcomes by going green. However, many districts have no money for consultants yet want to go green. Here are some links as to how to obtain resources.
The EPA provides no-cost Green Schools Symposiums around the country - check their website. There is one in the planning stages for North Texas that is scheduled for April 23-24, 2012. We volunteers are working to provide scholarships for hotels for school personnel who want to attend, yet have no travel budget. Please stay tuned.
www.usgbc.org
www.centerforgreenschools.org
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/resources.html
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/pubs.html

Introduction and Indoor Environmental Quality

My name is Karen Benson and I've been interested in and involved in green building since the early 80's. I'm excited about helping the American Clearinghouse on Educational Facilities spread the word about ways to increase Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in schools. Part of the purpose of this blog is dedicated to answering questions about school IEQ and IAQ, so please feel free to ask questions.

Q: What's the deal with IEQ and IAQ and why should anyone care?
A: Numerous studies connect learning, teacher retention, abseenteeism, and test scores with IEQ. Twenty percent of the population of the United States spends their day in a school. That translates into a lot of opportunity to breathe either good or bad air. Think back on what your school smelled like - I'm remmbering some funny smells in the schools I attended. Funny smells = particulate matter in the air. Newer schools don't have asbestos or lead paint, but they are much more air-tight, and some of the materials they're constructed or furnished with can be hazardous to human health. A statistic commonly cited is that indoor air quality can be two to seven times worse than outdoor air quality. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/ .)

Next: Children are at a disadvantage when it comes to Indoor Environmental Quality. And 3 simple ways to increase your schools' IAQ.