For Immediate Release:
January 16, 2008
Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062
Local Students Among Winners in State Radon Poster Contest
Two students from Dexter were among the top three winners in the 2008 Missouri Radon Poster Contest. Second place honors went to Rilee Jones and third place went to Cazandra Koonce, both eighth graders at Dexter Middle School. First place went to Bryce Byrne of Seneca. Rilee and Cazandra will be presented their awards during an all-school assembly Friday, January 18, 2:30 p.m. at the school.
Sponsored by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, the statewide poster contest was held to draw attention to radon and the health risks it poses through indoor exposure. The three Missouri winners were selected from among 39 poster entries.
Missouri’s radon poster contest was part of the National Radon Poster Contest, sponsored by the National Safety Council (NSC) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). First-place winners from each state were entered into the national contest. The winner of the national contest, along with a parent and sponsor will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the national award ceremony in January 2008. The winning posters from each can be seen on the NSC website at http://www.nsc.org/issues/radon/poster_winners.htm/
Radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas formed by the natural radioactive decay of uranium in rock, soil, and water. Naturally existing, low levels of uranium occur widely in the Earth’s crust, and can be found in all 50 states. Once produced, radon moves through the ground to the air above. Some remains below the surface and dissolves in groundwater.
Radon gas decays into radioactive particles that can get trapped in the lungs. As these particles break down further, they release small bursts of energy. This can damage lung tissue and lead to lung cancer over the course of a person’s lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the amount of time between exposure and the onset of disease may be many years. The EPA estimates that radon causes about 20,000 deaths from lung cancer annually in the United States. The U.S. Surgeon General has warned that radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, and the second leading cause of lung cancer after cigarette smoking.
Fortunately, the level of radon exposure in homes, schools and other buildings can be determined through a simple, inexpensive, and effective test. If elevated levels are detected, proven mitigation techniques can be used to lower the levels. Free radon testing kits can be obtained from the Missouri Department of Health’s Radon Program by calling 573-751-6102. For more information on radon, call the National Radon Helpline at (800) 557-2366.