Recently, we tested our school’s air for radon gas. On 1/29/24, we placed radon detectors in our school. After a few days, we sent them to a lab to find out what the radon levels were in our school.

All test results were below the action level for radon. This means that no further action is needed right now.

What is radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that has no color, smell or taste. It is naturally occurring in rocks, soil, and water. Everyone is exposed to some radon in indoor and outdoor air.

Does radon cause health problems?

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among people who don’t smoke. Radon decays into radioactive particles that can damage your lungs. Breathing in radon increases your risk of getting lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Your risk of getting lung cancer from radon depends on the level of radon in the air you breathe, how long you are exposed to radon, and whether you smoke.  

How much radon causes health problems?

The action level for radon is 4.0 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L). This means that if radon levels are found at or above 4.0 (pCi/L), the Health Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend taking action to lower the levels. However, radon levels below 4.0 pCi/L still pose some risk, and so the Health Department and EPA encourage taking action to lower radon levels below 2.0 pCi/L.

The Health Department encourages schools to retest every 5 years and after every major renovation project.

How can I test my home for radon?

If you are interested in testing your own home for radon you can request a free long-term test kit from the Health Department by calling 1-800-439-8550 or emailing radon@vermont.gov.

For more information about radon, visit www.healthvermont.gov/radon.

If you have questions or concerns about the testing or radon levels in our school, please contact Polly Rico at prico@maplerun.org.