Poster by Ali MaCall Jenkins
Students in Utah will be using their talents to help spread awareness about the dangers of radon gas. The 2014 National Radon Poster Contest is now open and children between the ages of 9-14 that are enrolled at a public, private, territorial, tribal Department of Defense or home school are eligible to enter. In addition, members of a sponsored club in art, computer, science or 4-H can also participate in the contest.
There are no entry fees, but only one entry per student is allowed. The deadline for all entries is October 3rd, 2014 and the winners will be notified on December 10.
Students must create a poster or flyer that associates the dangers of radon with their drawing or sketch. They’re not just doing it all for fame and fortune however, there are some pretty good prizes for those who win. Utah state contest winners will receive $300, and their school or organization will receive $500. Second and third-place winners will both receive $100.
In other words, there’s nothing to lose if you live in Utah. You might as well encourage your children to read up on the dangers of radon and whip something up.
The Dangers of Radon: The 2014 National Radon Poster Contest
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, and as such it’s responsible for more than 20,000 deaths each year. It is released by elements in the soil such as Uranium when they undergo radioactive decay. It can seep into a home through cracks in the foundation, walls or floor and build up inside the residence contaminating the air quality.
The US EPA has set a recommended action limit of 4 pCi/L which means if the radon level is that high – or higher – in a residence it needs to be removed. Radon can be removed easily by installing a mitigation system in the home which just vents the gas outside.
If left unchecked, radon can sneak into a person’s lungs where it will remain – it attaches to the inner linings. As it decays over time, it poisons the body causing serious harm.
The biggest problem with radon is that there are no symptoms of radon poisoning. Worse yet, there are no symptoms of lung cancer either until it’s too late. Most people that are diagnosed with lung cancer have already passed the curable stage.
Since radon is odorless, tasteless and colorless the only way to discover its presence is to test specifically for it. Unfortunately, most people have no idea the problem even exists and the ones that do are afraid it will be costly to fix. On the contrary, because testing for radon is relatively cheap even if you hire a professional to do the work. Mitigation systems can cost anywhere from $1,000 – $2,000 depending on what equipment or venting process is used. After you factor in the damage that radon gas can cause to your body and your family $2,000 is a very small price to pay.
Via: Deseret News
