Tag: radon in schools

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Relocating With Kids? Has Their School Been Tested for Radon?

https://www.epa.gov/radon/radon-schools

You were just awarded a fabulous new job position which requires you to move to a different state. A new home is purchased close to your work and your children are registered to start school in September. Your new home had a home inspection and a radon test performed which came back elevated. The home was fixed by installing a radon mitigation system and is now safe to move in.

Radon is an invisible colorless, odorless and tasteless cancer-causing, radioactive gas created during the natural breakdown of uranium in rocks and soils. It’s found in nearly all soils around the world.

Radon exposure is cumulative in a person’s life. Eliminating exposure to elevated radon levels is highly recommended since radon is a known Class A carcinogen proven to cause lung cancer. In fact, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States today and is the leading cause of lung cancer in nonsmokers.

Testing for radon in schools should be mandatory nationwide however it is still under the auspices of local government to make that decision. Children being exposed at a young age to elevated radon levels remains in the body and continuous exposure can have negative health results.

Radon moves up through the ground and seeps into buildings entry points are cracks and other holes in the foundation, drainage or sump openings or poorly sealed pipes. Buildings trap radon inside, where it can accumulate. Any building can have a radon problem, not just those built on soil and rock with high geologic potential for radon release.

You fixed your home for elevated radon levels! Have you asked if your child’s school has been tested for radon? Have you asked if your workplace has been tested for radon? If your child’s school has elevated radon levels and they are in school all day followed by an extended day aftercare program, they are being exposed unnecessarily. It is an easy process to “fix” a building for elevated radon levels by a professional mitigator.

Be Proactive! This is your child’s health…a simple testing procedure can identify if your child’s school has elevated radon concentrations. Talk to other parents and create a plan to approach administrators. It affects not just your child but the school staff and full student body.

Test your home, school, workplace for radioactive radon gas today!

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Radon in Your Child’s School and What to Do About It

Radon in Your Child’s School and What to Do About It

Radon, a Class A carcinogen derived from the natural breakdown of uranium in rock and soil, becomes a danger to one’s health when it builds up in homes, buildings, schools and is breathed in over extended periods of time. Children, educators and support staff are typically in schools from 7am or earlier through to the evening. Many children are enrolled into an aftercare program and can be in an affected school for 10-12 hours per day.

The EPA has set guidelines for managing radon in schools with the hopes ALL schools will be tested, fixed if necessary and on a schedule for future testings to ensure your child is safe in their learning environment. The question arises as to what if the school administrators are hesitant or closed minded to testing for this insidious health threat?

Radon awareness is everything because there are so many people who do not know about the dangers of long term exposure to elevated levels of radon. Approximately 21,000 deaths per year in the United States is attributed to lung cancer from radon exposure.

Talk to your neighbors, talk to the officials in your child’s school, talk to your mayor, to your school’s staff and educators. Bring in a certified radon professional to offer information and discuss the hazards associated with radon. They can review the proper procedure for testing, the time frame involved and how to correct the situation if radon levels are elevated.

The only way to know if radon is an issue in your child’s school is to test and the procedure is a simple one. Be proactive! If your child’s school hasn’t been tested yet, now is the time. Motivate, organize and get it done!

Test Your Home, School or Workplace…Protect Your Family!